Homeward Bound
by patricia51
Summary: Now that the survivors are reunited they must make their way from LA back to their home in Alaska. What dangers await them on the way? Alice/Carlos, Jill/Chris, Claire/Sam but the story is mainly about K-Mart and Angie. Sequel to "The Searchers".
1. Planning

Homeward Bound, Part 1 by patricia51

(Sequel to "The Searchers". Now that the survivors are reunited they must make their way from LA back to their home in Alaska. What dangers await them on the way? Alice/Carlos, Jill/Chris, Claire/Sam.)

(Planning)

(Los Angeles)

The sun peeked over the horizon, illuminating the city from the top down. Its rays outlined the tops of the skyscrapers and then worked down, reflecting off the thousand of windows that remained until the entire city was bathed in the warm glow of morning.

The very first light had held the promise of another golden morning in LA but as the dawn progressed the actual state of the city was revealed. Broken windows, broken buildings, choked streets, rusting cars and all the other debris of a city that had been ravaged by the actions of man, nature run amuck and time bore witness to the wreckage that was once the City of Angels.

From her vantage point on the fifth floor of what had once been luxury apartments Alice Abernathy-Olivera surveyed the scene before her. Figures moved slowly among the choked ruined streets. Figures that she knew were the victims of the Umbrella Corporation's T-Virus but no less dangerous to the uninfected for being victims. Still there were indeed fewer of them than there had been only a year before. Even as she watched one extremely staggering zombie fell to the broken concrete and didn't get up again.

"Hmmmm," commented the man standing beside her. "A little more of that and maybe we can just walk home without any interference.

Alice smiled at her husband Carlos. "That would be nice but even with all the zombies in the world removed we still would have interference. If from no one else Umbrella will be after us."

"Just because we blew up their little research lab here," Carlos pretended to grumble. "Just no sense of humor those Umbrella types."

Now Alice laughed. Trust Carlos to keep things light when he could. Moved by a sudden impulse she leaned over and kissed him.

A heart felt sigh came from behind them. "Would you two PLEASE act your age?"

Without looking back both figures reached back and pulled their adopted daughter K-Mart to them.

"This IS acting our age," teased Carlos. "Because it certainly isn't YOUR age. I better not hear you've been kissing any boys."

"Oh don't worry Daddy," the teen grinned. "I'll make sure you don't hear of it." Before her father could respond she turned serious. "Everyone's ready to go. How's it look?"

"Not bad," her mother said thoughtfully. "Clear enough for us to get going anyway."

The trio embraced before heading into the next room. Waiting there was the rest of their party. Alice smiled again as she saw the way the other five members of their group had arranged themselves.

On the right was their friend Jill Valentine, the former Raccoon City STARS officer that she and Carlos had met in the hell that had been that place. With her was her adopted daughter Angela Ashford Valentine. Standing protectively close to both of them was Jill's former partner Chris Redfield. The trio had recently been reunited here in LA where Chris had been living in a survivors' colony and Angela had been held captive by Umbrella before being rescued by the group. From the way the three of them interacted Alice was willing to bet that if, no WHEN, they returned to their new found homes in Alaska that Angela would be changing her last name again. After all, a daughter should have the same last name as her mother and father.

On the other side was Chris' brother Claire Redfield, the former leader of the survivors' convoy where Alice had been reunited with Carlos and found K-Mart. Standing with her and trying not to appear to anxiously fussing over her was Sam Treadwell, an ex-Umbrella helicopter pilot that they had taken prisoner during the battle between the convoy and Umbrella troops supported by the mutated Crimson Head zombies created by an Umbrella scientist. Initially distrusted by pretty much everyone by his professed hatred of Umbrella and his apparent conversion to their ranks Sam had gone on to prove his dedication and loyalty to his new friends again and again.

Alice, confirmed by Jill who had been sharing a house in their town in Alaska with Claire, had suspected there was something going on between the ex-convoy leader and Sam. That had been more than confirmed during the groups last adventure. Sam had repeatedly braved heavy ground fire to deliver assistance to Jill, Chris and Angela when they were trapped inside the Umbrella facility. And his feelings for Claire, and hers for him, had not only been given away been the use of certain names between them pn the radio but by his reaction to her being wounded and having to be left behind temporarily. In spite of his fear for her safety he had done his job and trusted to Alice and Carlos to get Claire back, which trust had not been misplaced.

For a few days they had been guests at the colony where Chris had found refuge after escaping from Umbrella. The survivors there included genuine doctors, a rare item in this post apocalyptic world, who had operated on Claire. While she recovered Alice and the other adult members of their group had looked for a place to hole up while Claire recovered and they planned their return home.

It wasn't that they weren't welcome in the refuge that had been established in the tall building bordering one of the city's parks. They simply didn't want to draw Umbrella's anger, and possible attacks, on to the people that had done so much to help them. Not that Umbrella really needed an excuse to do anything it decided upon. But there was no point in drawing undue attention to the colony. Alice knew the world spanning corporation had eyes looking for her and for Angie too as a matter of fact. So they kept a low profile and away from anyone except their own group.

This place they were at now was perfect. Chris had found it on one of his early explorations, before the rest of the group had come to LA. Six stories high it had been built as luxury apartments, with all the safety and security features that came along with that. The bottom floor had been windowless and those windows on the upper floor were of laminated construction capable of withstanding repeated high velocity bullet strikes. The exterior doors were steel as were those blocking the emergency stairway at each floor. Finally the building had its own generator, unused until their arrival, and an untouched food storage locker which included antibiotics and other medications.

"Looks like someone was ready for disaster," commented Jill after their first sweep of the building.

"But never got a chance to use it," agreed Chris.

"I wonder why?" put in Angie. "It's sort of spooky."

Jill agreed with her daughter. There had been no signs of, well, anything here. No bodies, human or zombie. No signs of a hasty evacuation where someone had grabbed what they could before fleeing. There were no signs of looting. Although the individual apartment doors were locked the front door had been closed but had opened with a simple pull.

"I suppose," said Carlos thoughtfully, "That the infection and then the panic came on while everyone here was away at work or some other place. The tenants were unable to get back here."

"Bad for them but helpful for us," said Chris.

So they had moved in. Into the fifth floor to be precise. It just so happened that there were three apartments on that floor; one for Carlos, Alice and K-Mart; one for Jill, Angie and Chris and the final one for Claire and Sam. They had rested, made short excursions to rebuild their supplies, including ammunition and waited for Claire to regain her strength, which took place quickly under Sam's constant careful nursing.

The building was so comfortable that there actually was some half-hearted debate about whether they should stay here instead of making the long and probably dangerous journey back to Alaska. But Alaska had become home as well as a refuge, a place the infection had never reached and there was the possibility of a normal life.

"Besides," Jill sighed, "Umbrella will be coming after us sooner or latter. Up there we would have help." She wrapped her arm protectively around her daughter and hugged her.

Alice nodded. Not only were the majority of the residents of their and the other Alaskan town well-armed and tough survivors in their own right but the remainder of the Alaskan National Guard possessed heavy weapons, a great deal of combat experience and along with everyone else a definite distaste for Umbrella.

"The day will come," Carlos said thoughtfully, "When Umbrella may force us to deal with them once and for all. But in the meantime we have our lives to live and while we need to be careful if we let concern for Umbrella dominate us the corporation has already won."

"Well let's just get home," put in K-Mart. "I miss Sparkles."

Alice and Carlos bestowed identical smiles at their daughter. When they had married and adopted her they had moved into a house of their own. A house that came with something K-mart had said no family was complete without. A dog. A dog that the teen had immediately fallen in love with and found her affection returned five-fold.

"Home AND Sparkles then," agreed the girl's father.

The group immediately pitched in for the sixty-four thousand dollar question. How were they to get home? They had got a lot of information from the colony and Chris had been exploring a good deal of the sprawling city so they knew LAX and any smaller airport they knew of had been trashed early in the infection panic.

"Perhaps when we get farther up the coast we can find a plane," said Sam hopefully.

The discussion turned to the harbor. But, talented as the members of the group were, nobody was a sailor. There were rumors of survivors who had taken to the ocean, much like the riverboat that Jill had traveled on up the Mississippi River for a while during her search for Angie. But rumors were all they had. And the colony had provided information that some of those sea-going survivors were maruaders.

"I guess," said Claire, "that we're going to be getting back to where we were not too long ago, a vehicle convoy traveling up the coastal rodas. Or what's left of them."

"I don't think we're going to be driving at all to begin with," remarked Chris. "Those last satelitte pictures that Mikey was able to send us shows us the streets are pretty well impassable even if we were able to get any of the vehicles around here running. So at first we're going to be walking."

Maps were spread out and compared with the downloaded photos. A tentative route was picked out and agreed upon.

"First light in the morning?" Alice proposed.

Heads nodded.

"Let's all get packed and turn in early."

Carlos grinned and began to whistle. Heads cocked sideways as the group tried to identify the tune and then a barage of pillows from a nearby couch bombared him.

"What? No one likes Willie Nelson?"

"Yes, but 'On the Road Again'?" laughed Alice.

"On that note," Jill pushed Angie towards their apartment. "Good night and see you in the morning."

(To be continued)


	2. A Good Night's Sleep?

Homeward Bound, Part 2 by patricia51

(A Good Night's Sleep?)

(Los Angeles)

"Go to bed early," muttered K-Mart as she first pounded her pillow and then attempted to wrap it around her head. "We'll get an early start." The teen pulled the covers over her. Anything to muffle the sounds coming from the other bedroom.

Okay, she loved her parents and she knew that they loved each other. But for goodness sake couldn't they keep their passion a little more, well, under control or at least less vocal? She might be scarred for life by all this!

The teen finally surrendered. Grabbing her pillow and blanket she rolled out of bed and stumbled out of her bedroom. Passing through the living room she headed for the kitchen where she rummaged through the cabinets until she found a can of fruit. Just as she was finishing it a soft sound brought her attention back to the living room. She padded to the apartment door. There it was again, a soft tapping.

K-Mart had survived in this crazed world by being careful but she opened the door without hesitation. The building was sealed and the floor they lived on was securely barred to intruders. And her first thought was right. Standing there with a woe-be-gone sleepy expression on her face and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders was her new best friend in the world.

"Yours too?"

Angie nodded. Then they both sighed in near unison before the giggles broke out. K-Mart gently closed the apartment door and the two teens made their way to the common room the entire group had gathered during the day.

Dim moonlight threw shadows across the room. The two girls paused for a moment to look over the city and then tossed their covers onto a pair of couches. Pillows were plucked from chairs and the couches were pushed close to each other. The twosome snuggled down, both of them yawning deeply.

K-mart giggled again and once again Angie matched it. Both teens were old enough to know exactly what was going on in the other bedrooms although neither had gone any farther themselves other than theoretical musings. Of course there hadn't been time in either teen's life although up in Alaska K-Mart had once had an actual date with a boy down the street. Of course the two of them had been chaperoned by all four parents involved so anything beyond a handshake was completely impossible. Not that K-Mart was in any rush. It was so nice having parents and a home and a dog after all the years of starving and hiding that she was in no hurry to leave that.

Angie agreed. Realizing that they weren't going to get to sleep anytime soon the pair propped themselves up on pillows and started to talk.

"When," inquired Angie, "did you know that your parents were in love with each other?"

K-Mart smiled in the dark room. "Wondering about your mom and Chris?" she teased. Then she grew serious.

"We were headed toward Las Vegas to resupply. Alice had just joined the convoy, drawn she later told us be a vision of some sorts that Carlos was in trouble. Which he was." The blonde teen went on to describe the attack of the infected crows, the out of control flame thrower and how Carlos had tried to shield one of the other girls with his body.

"I knew it wasn't going to work. And I was already feeling something for Carlos. He seemed like a wonderful big brother. Maybe more. I just KNEW I was going to lose him when suddenly the flames stopped as though a shield had been put in place."

"Alice," said Angie. "I've seen her powers in action."

"Uh-huh," agreed K-Mart. "That was how I met her. And I felt a connection to her immediately, even before she woke from the exhaustion using her mind powers causes." She smiled. "But I was talking about out Las Vegas trip. We were going down the road. It was just the three of us in one truck. I had been taking a nap with my head on Carlos' shoulder when I woke up. I felt so comfortable I didn't even want to open my eyes. So I kind of just peeked a little."

"Alice and Carlos were looking at each other and smiling. And they were looking at me and smiling too. That's when I knew everything. I knew they loved each other and I knew they loved me too. I was sure we were destined to become a family. And we did."

"That's wonderful," Angie sighed. "I hope we; my mom and I and Chris end up together just like you did with your parents."

"I bet you will."

"I know Chris cares for my mom and for me too. A lot." Angie went on to describe the firefight on top of the Umbrella facility when she had been rescued and how Chris had covered both her mom and herself with his own body to protect them.

"He also went in to the Umbrella base with you mom to rescue you," K-mart pointed out. "And since then I've seen him always by your mom's side and also always making sure he knows where you are and that you re safe. I bet you when we get home to Alaska it will be just like when we got there. My mom and dad got married and formally and legally adopted me. Even if I had to tell everyone my original first name."

"Which is?" asked Angie with a hint of mischief in her eyes."

"Something that I was promised I'd never have to reveal again," replied K-Mart. "But... if you PROMISE not to tell anyone..."

"Cross my heart."

K-Mart leaned over the Angie and whispered. Her friend clasped her hands over her mouth in a vain attempt to smother a giggle.

"I know. It's awful!"

"It's not that bad. Well, maybe it is." Angie paused. "When I first met my mom I was hiding in my school from my classmates, teachers and police dogs that had all been infected with the T-virus. She teased me about my full name, saying it was a big name for a little girl. I told her my friends all called me Angie and she said she liked that. She took my hand and K-Mart I just felt so good. Even with all the death and danger around us I felt protected."

"I understand. My mom has made me feel the same way since I first met her."

The teens hugged. "Now then," said Angie thoughtfully, "all we have to do is make sure that Claire and Sam end up together."

"I don't think there's any chance of that NOT happening," said K-Mart with an impish grin. "When we were all living in Alaska and your mom was recovering from what had happened to her before she was rescued she shared a house with Claire. I heard her telling my parents that Claire was often slipping out at night to go over to Sam's." She shrugged. "I don't know why sneaking was involved. Dad said something about Claire having been in charge of the survivors' convoy for so long made it hard for her to shed the 'mantle of leadership' as he put it."

"She couldn't show herself as human."

"Right. Or at least that way. But that's past now. So I think eventually they'll admit what's going on. After all, they're in that third apartment and I bet they aren't in separate bedrooms. Or beds," K-Mart added with the self-satisfied smile of a teenager who thinks she has everything and everyone figured out.

"Well not that we've disposed of THAT, did I tell you that Chris and my mom found me a pistol? Chris has been teaching me how to load and aim it. I haven't had the chance to practice shooting it yet though."

"What did they get you?' asked K-Mart with interest.

"It's a Smith and Wesson semi-automatic. It's called a Lady Smith. Mom says it's caliber three-eighty which..."

"Which is the same as my Walther!" finished K-Mart excitedly.

"Uh-huh."

"That's awesome! When we get out of the city and away from prying eyes and ears we can practice together."

"You can count on it! Mom says Chris overstocked on ammunition for it and is itching to teach me how to use it."

"You SO have a new dad in your future."

There was quiet for a moment. "K-Mart?"

"Yes Angie?"

"You don't think, I mean, do you believe that it's disloyal or something like that to think of and maybe hope that Chris will marry my mom and then be my dad? Would it be turning my back on my Father?"

"Of course not!"

"I really love my father. He was a good man. maybe Umbrella corrupted his research but it kept me out of a wheelchair." Angie paused for a moment. "But I'd like to think he would be happy to know that I found a new mother and now maybe a new dad."

"I'm sure he would be," her best friend assured him. "Would be? Will be. Just because he's... well..."

"Dead," finished Angie.

"Yes dead. But that doesn't mean he's gone. Or not looking down at you. Just like I believe..." K-Mart's voice trailed off.

"That your parents, your first parents, are watching you?"

K-Mart nodded jerkily. "I don't remember much about them. I think I've blocked a lot of things out about my early life. I think I looked more like my dad than my mom and I can remember that they loved me. I had an older brother too. I think he was the one that got me away from our house the night that... that... I'm sorry I've buried that night somewhere I never go. But I KNOW that they loved me. I can close my eyes and hold the bad things at bay and feel their arms around me. I still can. I'm sure that they are happy for me; that I've found new parents who love me and will protect me."

"I don't remember my mother's face at all," said Angie softly. "But I can still hear her voice. It was so warm. It made ME feel warm, just like my new mom does now."

The two girls' reached out at the same time to take each other's hand. They continue to hold hands as they let silence and memories and hopes for the future carry them off to a safe place; a place that lulled them to sleep soundly until the first rays of dawn peeked through the windows.

(To be continued)

(This probably isn t what anyone was expecting (including me) but I felt like I wanted to spend some time with K-Mart and Angie before the trip got going. Next chapter the adventure will start.)


	3. Starting Out

Homeward Bound, Part 3 by patricia51

(Starting Out)

(Southern California Coastline)

"Well," Alice said thoughtfully, "there's something you don't see everyday."

Keeping a cautious eye on their surroundings the group of survivors followed her gaze.

"I wonder how it got there?" mused Jill.

"No telling," said Sam. "But even for this day and time it's an unusual sight."

"I wonder if it still runs?" asked Carlos of no one in particular.

"Since we'd have to swim out to it I don't think we're ever going to find out," answered Chris.

"What's painted on the door?" inquired K-Mart.

Shading her eyes against the evening sun the teen's mother squinted. "I think it's a number three."

"Weird," commented Angie.

Heads nodded. The group watched as the yellow Humvee floated along, rocking slightly in the gentle motion of the ocean wave. Caught by a vagrant current the abandoned vehicle spun around twice and drifted out to sea.

After a moment attention turned back to the land and away from the sea. For a moment longer K-Mart stood watching the vehicle, wondering where it had come from and what had happened to its occupants. Then she too dismissed it from her mind. There were more important matters at hand. Like finding a defensible place to spend the night.

(Several days earlier)

(Los Angeles)

"K-Mart, wake up honey." a gentle but firm hand shook her shoulder.

In response the teen burrowed deeper into her covers and tried to pull the pillow around her head.

"Daddy, I don't want to go to school this morning."

A soft chuckle answered her whine. "I wish that was all that it was sweetheart but come on, the dawn is lighting up the sky and it's the day we're starting our trek home."

Now awake, the teenager threw back her covers and stumbled back to the family apartment. The stumble picked up quickly as the smell of brewing coffee came from the room she had just left.

"Good morning honey," her mom Alice greeted her with a smile and a kiss. "Sleep well? And why out there? Your father in particular worried when you weren't in your bed this morning."

"It's the sounds of the city," replied K-Mart with as straight a face as she could manage. "Somehow they weren't as noticeable in that room as my bedroom here."

"Holy cow," the teen thought gleefully. "I just made my mother blush."

"Well, take a quick shower, get dressed and grab your gear. We're leaving right after breakfast."

"Okay mom."

In just a few minutes K-Mart came out of the apartment, her hair still damp from the shower where she met Angie. Both girls were dressed in almost identical fashion; jeans, athletic shoes and loose comfortable tops. They both had their hair in ponytails and carried packs. They could have passed for a pair of teens headed off on a week-end hiking trip had it not been for the leather belt each wore that supported a holstered pistol, ammunition pouches for extra magazines and a heavy knife to balance the gun.

It had been Alice who had insisted on the knives, although Carlos, Chris and Jill had all supported the idea once broached.

"A knife never jams and it never runs out of ammo. It's not easy to kill a zombie with one but it can be done. And we all know that zombies aren't the only danger that you might have to face."

Angie's cap rode on the back of her head. The sunglasses she had donned were crooked. "Gosh this is heavy," she grumbled. "But it'll get lighter soon as we eat and drink what we're carrying. And if we're on the road too long we'll wish that they were heavier."

K-Mart nodded. Both girls had been on the road in this post-apocalyptic world before. Both had gone hungry and thirsty. But that was how life was. So without further ado they joined the adults and pitched in to eat.

When they finished Jill started to pick up her plate and coffee cup to carry them to the sink. She stopped looked at them and with a bit of a chuckle set them back down again.

"I guess no point in doing the dishes huh?"

"We're never coming back and from the way the place was when we got here I doubt anyone else ever will."

"True," said Alice as she spread out a map of the city. "Okay, let's look over the route we hope to travel today." She traced the line of march with her finger. "This keeps us to as open streets as we can hope to find and keeps us away underground parking garages and storm drains and such."

The others nodded. They had found out to their surprise that while the zombies were, contrary to the late unlamented Doctor Isaac's theory, beginning to break down the more they remained exposed to the sun they somehow were sensing it and gathering in underground areas. The group had nearly been overrun during the rescue of Angie when Sam had been forced to set the helo down in an abandoned stadium only to find the undead boiling out of the under complex.

"We hope to make it here by tonight. There are several buildings in that area that look like we can hole up there for the night. If we don't get caught up in anything then in a few days we'll make it to this highway along the coast and hopefully put an end to walking. Until then we'll just have to hoof it."

"Should anyone get separated today make your way north as well as you can. Each day we'll establish a rally point where we will plan to assemble if that happens." she pointed at the map. "Our first intermediate objective will be this promontory here. If we are completely scattered than everyone make for it. It's unmistakable, jutting out into the ocean with the lone mansion there that surprising looks in reasonable shape according to the satellite photos. Hopefully it won't come to that. But if it does than go there and wait. We won't go on without you. And even if we don't need it for that it looks like a prime place to rest for a day or two."

In short order everyone was lined up at the outside door. Weapons were drawn, locked and loaded. At a signal from Alice Carlos and Chris threw the door open and dived outside as the others covered them.

Nothing. No one and nothing was there. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. With that the party headed out in marching order.

In the lead was Alice with Chris behind her. Alice's weapons, her machines pistols, shotgun and long knives remained holstered. Chris had his M4 carbine carried comfortably but ready to cover anything that appeared. His silenced Ruger 22 caliber pistol was near to hand.

Behind them came Jill and Claire with the two girls. Jill was armed like Chris while Claire carried a Glock nine millimeter for a sidearm along with her M24 sniper rifle. Behind them was Sam with his ten gauge shotgun and Carlos brought up the rear with his much trusted Galil.

The movement through the abandoned streets was as swift as could be expected. Occasionally a muffled cough barely identifiable as a shot came from the front of the little column. Chris had slung his carbine and was using his twenty-two to eliminate any zombies they came across. After a bit he removed the silencer, electing to save its suppressive qualities for when it might really be needed.

Because of the four radio headsets spread among the adults communication was instant, although radio chatter was kept at a minimum. However the group didn't let that make them sloppy about security. Neither the front or trail pair ever allowed themselves to be in a position where both members were out of sight at the same time from the others. Because of their long experience in this world the care they took didn't slow them down. The pace picked up in fact as the streets broadened out and the remaining zombies grew scarce.

Every hour the group took a ten minute break. Everyone, especially Sam of course, kept an eye on Claire but the former convoy leader had recovered from her wounds and was actually enjoying the vigorous pace that Alice was setting. The girls were in tip top shape and had no trouble keeping up. Lunch lasted an hour, the quiet broken only once when Angie demonstrated that she had absorbed the lessons her mom and hoped to soon be dad had been teaching her when a zombie staggered out of a doorway. The teen was the closest member of the party. Reacting rather than thinking it out she drew her pistol and snapped off two shots that dropped the undead creature in its tracks before it took more than half-a-dozen steps toward them.

"Good shot sweetheart," beamed Chris. Jill nodded in approval as did the other adults. K-Mart hugged her. Angie blushed in pleased embarrassment.

While there was still an hour of full daylight left each day the party would slow and search for a secure location to spend the night. The first two nights were spent in the remnants of high rise buildings that could be barricaded from the inside. The third night saw them on the outskirts of the city and they found refuge in an old warehouse.

Today had seen them moving slower than the first days. Now that they were safely away from the city proper the search was on to find suitable vehicles that they could get running and rebuild with armor and screens to safely convey them back up the coast to Alaska. While searching through several abandoned SUVs and trucks Angie had spotted the bright yellow vehicle out on the ocean.

"Too bad," Jill cast one last glance back at the floating car. "Hummers are always great vehicles to convert."

"Oh well mom, we'll find another one. Or something just as good."

"Speaking of finding a place, the top of that hill looks like a good place to fort up for the night."

"Good," said K-Mart. "I'm hungry."

"And when are you not?" asked her father.

Laughter followed as the party scrambled up the hill to settle in."

(Tokyo)

The intercom light flashed on the massive desk. Albert Wesker pressed a button.

"Yes?"

"Major Turner is here Mister Chairman."

"Send him in."

The door opened to admit a man neatly clad in the black uniform of an Umbrella security officer. He saluted.

Without wasting time on pleasantries Wesker spoke.

"Update," he demanded.

"Everything is going according to your plan sir. So far they have kept to the approximate schedule of movement that they discussed with their friends in Alaska. They have no idea that our snooper program is intercepting and copying the transmissions they bounce off the satellite they use."

Wesker grunted. "It was an excellent idea of the late security director to have those modules installed on every satellite we manufactured regardless of who was its intended final user. A shame he was unable to reach safety." Realizing he was delving into irrelevancies, something he hated in others he returned to the point at hand. "The trap is set then?"

"Yes sir. And baited with the one thing we know this group cannot resist."

(To be continued)


	4. Becoming Mobile

Homeward Bound, Part Four by patricia51

(Quick note: Kudos to WhatHurtsMeMost. She was the first to spot that the yellow Humvee in the last chapter beonged to Tallahassee in "Zombieland".)

(Becoming Mobile)

(Along the California Coast)

The deep rumble of an engine filled the bays of the spacious metal building that had once been the service center of a used car dealership. It drowned out the hiss of a nearby arc welder but did nothing to darken its eye-searing light.

Chris shut off the welder. He looked over at the now smoothly running four wheel drive SUV, back at the heavy metal screen he had constructed and nodded in satisfaction.

"This is industrial strength rebar. Nothing's going to rip through it."

"It's not the screens themselves that I'm worried about," replied his sister Claire. "When we were attacked by Isaac's Crimson Head zombies in Las Vegas it turned out the weak point was their attachment to the vehicle. In stead of going through them they ripped the entire screen off the vehicle."

"Good point," Chris conceded. "I'll hunt up some high grade bolts to hold them in place. They need to cool tonight. Tomorrow we'll get them installed and we'll be on the road."

A rifle cracked from over their heads. Neither sibling paid much attention to it. Nor did the trio of Alice, Sam and Carlos who were shutting the hood of the vehicle and conducting an inspection of the rest of it and the other two.

Up on the roof Angela Valentine was settling down behind the sniper rifle. She thumped the bag that her left forearm was to rest on, wrapped the rifle's sling around that arm and settled the butt against her shoulder. Rather than lowerong her cheek to the stock she looked up at the woman who was sitting cross-legged next to her, peering through a set of binoculars at the surrounding area.

"Okay sweetie, your turn. By the way, very good shot K-Mart. That was about five hundred yards and you dropped the zombie with the first shot."

"Thank you," the teen beamed with pride at the woman's praise.

"You're welcome. Okay honey, I see another one. To your left about twenty degrees, distance about four to four hundred and fifty yards."

Angie shifted slightly, tracking with both eyes. She nodded and lowered her head to look through the telescopic sight mounted on the rifle.

"Target acquired mom."

"Good. Now chamber a round." Angie worked the bolt. "Now, remember, hold the butt in tight to your shoulder. At that range you should aim where?"

"I should hold about three inches high from where I want the bullet to strike."

"Exactly. Set you aim point, take a breath, let it out slowly and squeeze the trigger."

Boom!

The rifle slammed back into the teen's shoulder but she was prepared for the recoil and rode it without the wincing that had happened the first time she had fired the rifle. She kept her cheek firmly in place and her eye focused on the target through the scope.

"Good shot!" Jill Valentine scanned the rest of the area before them before rising and making a full three hundred and sixty degree sweep. "I think that's cleaned them all out." She looked at her daughter and her best friend's daughter. "Speaking of cleaning I'd say we have just enough time to do exactly that to the rifle before supper. So rather than reload go ahead and unloaded."

"Yes Mom, Yes ma'am," the two girls answered together. Angie carefully unloaded the rifle, passing the two unexpended shells to her mom. K-mart helped her up and the two teens picked up the empty casings."

"Once the rifle is cleaned what do you do next?"

"Reload it," the pair chorused.

"Exactly. When things get scary, and we certainly know they will before we get home, you react as you have been taught and as you practice. When Chris and I went through the Raccoon City Police Academy we studied a famous case where four police officers were killed in a shootout with two suspects."

"In those days firearms training was not very realistic. You stood at the range and slowly fired at paper targets. There was no rush, no hurry and certainly no pressure. Safety was paramount. You fired and then holstered an unloaded weapon. When you reloaded, and this was in the days when revolvers were the usual side arm, you carefully dumped the expended casings in your hand and then, to keep the range clean, put them in your pocket. During the examination of the fallen officers after the manhunt was concluded for their killers one officer was found with empty shell casings in his pocket. Under stress you revert to how you're taught. So you girls ALWAYS keep your pistols loaded as well as any other weapon you might use. And treat them that way."

Two serious nods met her words. The trio climbed down the ladder welded on the side of the building and joined the others. Supper was bland but it was hot and filling.

"Another early morning," Alice said, ignoring the muttered undertones from K-Mart. The woman grinned, reached out and ruffled her daughter's hair. "Without interruptions." A discussion followed for a short while that covered their route for the next few days and then they adjourned. One adult remained on guard, a guard that would rotate through the night.

K-Mart snuggled down into her improvised bed, conscious that she was probably the safest person in the world tonight with her formidable dad on one side and her even more formidable mom on the other. She was glad the walking was over, at least for the foreseeable future. Perhaps they would be able to drive all the way home to Alaska.

After days of hiking up the highway without finding vehicles they could use an observant Carlos had spotted the half-fallen sign for the dealership. They had scouted it out and after dispatching no more than four or five zombies had found it had everything they needed. Trucks and SUV's with heavy duty frames, a body repair shop that had everything they needed to armor those vehicles and hidden in the back corner of the facility a gas pump. An unlooted gas pump. There wasn't a tanker around but Chris and Sam had removed gas tanks from other vehicles and set them up on trailers the trucks they would be riding in could tow.

Nearby they had found a small grocery store. The shelves had been looted but wonder of wonders the storeroom was practically untouched. The food they picked up should carry them all the way home now that they didn't have to carry it on their backs. Fortunately there had been NO cans of pork and beans. Perhaps, as she admitted to herself, she had been spoiled by the months in Alaska, an Alaska that due to the climate changes had a long and fruitful growing season that had let her get accustomed to real fresh food, but she didn't care if she never saw a can of pork and beans again.

The prize had been in a corner closet. Methodical by nature Sam had noticed that there was a good deal of space unaccounted for by the nearly barren shelves inside. Taking them out and pulling away what was discovered to be a false back had shown them a nice treasure trove of weapons and ammunition.

There had been a stash of twenty-two long rifle for the silenced pistols and nine millimeter for the HK-94's and Glock pistols. Twelve gauge shotgun shells in a variety of loads filled up her mom's slightly depleted inventory. Best of all for her though had been the discovery of two twenty gauge pump shotguns. Now with their barrels cut down and loaded with a mixture of buckshot and slugs one was securely clamped right where she would be riding come morning. The other of course was in the same position in the vehicle Angie would be in. K-Mart admitted that they kicked a lot less than a twelve gauge such as she had used before.

They certainly could use the resupply. They had been running low on all kinds of ammunition, especially the rifle ammo for the M4 carbines and her Dad's Galil. There hadn't been a lot of 5.56 millimeter shells but the few boxes they had found had been very welcome, especially after the fight they had three days ago.

(Three days previously)

"This is beginning to remind me of a song from the 'Lord of the Rings',", grumble Angie.

"Song?" K-Mart went blank. She could remember seeing the three movies before the apocalypse but couldn't recall any songs.

"Bilbo sings it in the early part of the first film." At the blank look on K-Mart's face Angie softly sang. "The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began."

The blonde teen remembered and laughed. "Yes, you're right."

Claire put a mock scowl on her face and looked at the pair of girls. "If you're that tired maybe you should save your breath for walking."

The laughter stilled when Alice slowed down and stopped, the expression on her face one of sudden alertness. Her head turned towards the coast, into the stiff sea breeze that was blowing in. Carlos yanked out a set of binoculars and scanned that direction.

Angie actually saw her best friend's dad's face pale as he lowered the binoculars and shot a near frantic look around them. Then both he and Alice were yelling and he was pointing to the group's other side.

"There! Up there! Quick. Run!"

K-Mart cast one quick glance at the pack of creatures creating a rise in the not far enough away distance. Then she was running up the hill, heading towards what looked to be the remnants of some kind of pumping station around a huge drum shaped tank of some kind.

"Faster. Drop your packs!" yelled Alice.

Angie shrugged out of the straps of her pack, seeing K-Mart doing the same. Then she was caught up by Chris and practically carried up the hill when her feet slipped. Reaching the tank she was unceremoniously tossed up to a waiting Sam who was on the metal steps leading up. Moments latter Carlos hurled K-Mart up there and the two men began to climb themselves.

Overhead Claire's sniper rifle started to crack in slow measure booms that indicated the former convoy leader was hitting everything she was aiming at. Angie reached the top and turned, grabbing her friend's hand and pulling her up. The other adults poured onto the smooth metal surface and fanned out. Gasping for breath Angie looked at the rapidly approaching threat and her heart froze.

Dogs. Dozens and dozens of dogs. They looked horrible, the remnants of their skin peeling from them, foam dripping from their jaws and the redness of their eyes showing. Angie shook, the memories of her school coming back.

She had always loved dogs. But what had happened to the police dogs brought in to try to stop the already infected, the dogs and their police handlers going down under the waves of the undead the students and faculty had become and their rising again as mutated creatures had terrified her beyond words. Only the arrival of Jill, her mom, had saved her.

In a flashback she saw again the dogs charging them and Jill throwing her lighter into the room behind them hoping to set off the gas from the stoves. A completely irrelevant thought popped into her head, as often happens in situations of extreme stress. She was glad her mom had quit smoking. Then the creatures were upon the group and her mind was back in the fight.

The adults opened fire as the mutated dogs of all sizes and kinds tried to leap up at them. Gunfire poured into the pack. Instinctively, as both parents and adults do, the older members pushed the two teens behind them. Angie saw K-mart had drawn her pistol and was turning to cover the back. She followed suit just in time.

Two huge beasts of some big dog breed had found something to climb on or leap from and had reached the edge of the tank. One jumped for the girls. K-Mart's pistol spat fire, rapid instinctive shooting that brought down the creature only a few feet away from them. The other bounded to the side, passing them, its jaws foaming, headed right for Jill's back.

Angie should have screamed in panic at the sight of death bearing down on her mom. Once perhaps she would have. But instead her pistol rose, her arms locked, the barrel pointed. Both eyes guided the muzzle as she immediately opened fire. Bullet after bullet struck the undead creature until it collapsed, its momentum carrying its now dead for good body towards Jill.

Now Angie yelled. But rather than a scream it was a command. "Mom, dodge left. NOW!"

Without turning Jill followed her daughter's instructions. The sliding body which might have pushed her off into the rapidly shrinking pack missed her, falling off into the pile at the foot of the tank.

Several other creatures had managed to leap all the way up only to meet Alice and her long knives. Shortly the gunfire ceased. The party scattered and climbed down to make sure everything that had attacked them was dead and gather up their abandoned packs. But before they did Chris wrapped Angie up in his arms and squeezed her tightly.

"Wow sweetheart, what shooting. You know that you saved your Mom's life don't you? I'm so proud of you I could bust."

As she fell asleep K-Mart smiled as she remembered that scene and how Angie had flung her arms around Chris' neck and called him by another name.

"Looks like there's no doubt about it," she thought as she cuddled against her own parents, "Angie has a dad as well as a mom now."

(To be continued)

(Note. The shootout Jill mentions to Angie and K-Mart was the infamous Newhall Incident of April 1970 where four California Highway Patrolmen were killed in a shootout with two subjects. It led to a massive overhaul nationwide of how firearms training were conducted as well as improvements in traffic stop procedures, officer survival and equipment upgrades and additions that have saved a lot of lives since then.)


	5. Yo ho ho?

Homeward Bound, Part Five by patricia51

(Yo Ho Ho?)

Claire shaded her eyes and looked seaward. "Is that a boat out there?"

"Does it appear to be another yellow Hummer?" asked Sam without opening his eyes.

The pair had been sprawled on the hood of their vehicle, parked facing the ocean and the wind whipping in from the water. The rest of the group was parked below them in a bit of a dip in the road. The noon time meal was being heated over a small fire while Chris and Carlos did some routine maintenance. Angie was determinedly attempting to make some new concoction for lunch that Jill and Alice were trying not to look at too dubiously.

Originally the former convoy leader and the ex-Umbrella pilot had been leaning back against the windshield, their sides pressed together. They had been holding hands and giving each other the occasional kiss. Every few minutes they carefully scanned the surrounding countryside. They didn't want any more surprises like the attack of the huge dog pack last week.

They had been fortunate there. Alice's T-virus sharpened senses had picked up something was wrong but it was Carlos who had first reacted and got everyone moving even before the pack had come into sight.

"How did you know?" he had been asked.

"I knew something was wrong from the way Alice was reacting." He had smiled at his wife. "But then I remember a sign I had seen on the road just a little bit ago. It was falling down but the arrow on it announced the way to the County Humane Society. I just knew what had happened there."

And it had. Sam grimaced as he recalled the sight of the site once dedicated to help and save animals. The remnants of the staff had still been there. It had been easy to deal with them but the still caged horrible changed dogs and other animals that had been almost heart breaking. A find of low velocity twenty-two ammo had allowed them to put all those animals out of their misery. K-Mart and Angie had NOT been allowed to go inside while this all went on.

Speaking of K-Mart, Sam pushed himself up on his arms and opened one eye. Yep, there she was, up on the other rise, proud as a peacock to be allowed to be on guard. She had her pistol belt around her waist, her shotgun slung over her shoulder and a pair of binoculars hung around her neck. As he watched she raised the binoculars and made a steady careful sweep of the area. Without lowering the binoculars from her eyes she waved as her gaze swept over the pair on the hood. Sam waved back, closed his eye and leaned back again on the windshield.

His comfort lasted about two seconds before he received a hard poke in the ribs.

"I'm serious Sam. Look."

Reluctantly Sam sat up, mumbling as he did. "If I didn't love you Claire Redfield I swear..."

"I love you too Sam Treadwell," Claire cut him off. "But damn it LOOK!"

Sam sat up. Damn, he thought, it WAS a boat. Turning, he whistled loudly. When he had everyone's attention he waved to the group to come join them. Shortly the entire group was peering out to see with the sole exception of K-Mart who was keeping watch on the landward side and Angie who was finishing lunch.

"It's a sailboat," said Alice.

"Uh-huh," agreed Chris. "A three hulled one; I forgot what they're called."

"Catamaran?"

"Beats me."

Jill let out a couple of words that she was glad Angie couldn't hear and ran back down to the vehicles. She ransacked the cargo compartment and then sprinted back up the rise. In response to the questioning looks everyone was giving her she displayed the flare gun she was holding.

"What do you think?"

Carlos shrugged. "I doubt zombies are sailing that. And Umbrella, they go for flashier stuff. Even if they were using boats they'd be fast showy motor boats, not a sailing vessel."

"And if they had those," put in Chris, "I doubt they would have been searching the world for mercenaries to guard a ship."

"So?" Jill asked.

Looks were exchanged. "Yes," said Alice.

There was a loud report and a smoke trail lifted into the sky. At its apex there was another explosion and a red star cluster traced its bright color against the blue sky.

For several moments nothing happened. Then two figures made small by the distance appeared on the boat. They ran about purposefully and the set of the sails changed. The bow swung towards the survivors. Straining eyes detected various things being waved towards the shore. Waved very rapidly.

"Is it just me," asked Claire thoughtfully, "or does something about that waving and the rapid change of course seem a bit frantic?"

"Something isn't right," her brother agreed. "Even realizing there are people here you would think they would be a little more cautious about approaching strangers. They're coming in a bit hell-for leather."

"I think that would explain it," said Sam who had fished out the other pair of binoculars from the back seat of his and Claire's SUV.

"What?"

"Those motor boats we were just talking about," the ex-pilot replied. "Here they come." He continued to study the fast approaching shapes as they became clearer in the lenses. "Oh you have got to be shitting me!" he suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" Alice asked urgently, as did most of the others.

Wordlessly Sam handed Alice the binoculars. She looked and her jaw nearly dropped.

"Are those boats actually flying the Jolly Roger?" she demanded of the world in general and Sam in particular.

"Looks like," was the laconic reply.

"Shit."

"I said that."

As the sailboat plunged shoreward the survivors exploded into action. Claire pulled the SUV down below the ridgeline and out of sight. K-Mart was called in from the other side of the draw. Angie joined her and the two teens scampered up the hill to be with their parents. Angie brought her culinary masterpiece along; insisting after she took a quick look that there was time to eat.

To please her daughter Jill took an extra large helping even as she kept one eye on the approaching boats. Chris of course followed suit. Nodding their approval they got seconds and everyone else pitched in. It wasn't gourmet food but it was hot, filling and pretty tasty.

"Good job sweetie," praised Chris.

An unknowing observer might have been struck by the casual attitude of the group, eating a meal even as what looked to be a fight was approaching. But just as combat veterans have learned in every generation, you eat and sleep when you had the chance because you didn't know when that chance might come around again. Besides, as Carlos noted, he fought better on a full stomach.

The first shots of that fight came from the pursuing motor boats. At first it was simply rifle shots but then a machine gun opened up from the leading craft. Splinters flew from the sail boat and the two occupants, now close enough to be seen as females, fell flat. If they were armed there was no sign of it and unless they had automatic weapons there would be little point in shooting back anyway.

The sailboat yawed wildly, the sails flapping uselessly for a moment. Braving the continual fire one woman leaped to the tiller and the other to the ropes. The boat swung back towards the waiting survivors again before near misses chased the two crew women back to cover.

Claire's sniper rifle spoke. The machine gun fire sprayed wildly as the gunner slumped to the deck of the boat he was firing from. Another figure leaped to the bow mounted weapon. Before he could bring the sailboat under fire again he too dropped.

The rifle fire didn't stop, although it became more inaccurate as the gunmen aboard the pirate craft took cover. Bullets began to splatter along the crest of the rise the survivors were sheltering behind. Everyone kept low and avoided offering any target, the pirates' fire was wildly inaccurate and they were out of range of anything except Claire's rifle. Anxious peeks were taken at the sailboat; the pursuers were gaining fast although the boat was closing in on the beach as quickly as could be expected.

Too quickly, Alice realized when she snuck a look. There was a crunching sound, easily audible over the gunfire as the boat drove itself aground. Shrouds snapped and the towering mast swayed and then broke, spilling the large sail over the entire front half of the boat.

The pursuers stopped shooting, probably because there wasn't any target for them to aim at. The group on land searched the water around the boat.

"There," Angie grabbed her mother's arm and pointed. A woman was floundering through the chest high breakers. Behind her only a few feet was the other one. One of the motor boats must have spotted them as well because it swooped closer and the men on it started shooting again.

Now they were close enough. Except for the girls and Sam, whose shotguns were out of range, the survivors rose slightly and opened fire. They fired single, carefully aimed shot and it didn't take long for the pirate boat to roar back out to sea and join the others before they disappeared over the horizon.

The moment it was clear that the attackers were fleeing Carlos and Alice were up on their feet and running down the rise to the beach and then into the water. Both of them had seen the two escaping women were not making in through waves to the shore. In fact, the one in the rear was being pulled back out to sea and was only struggling feebly. Alice went after her while Carlos, joined by Sam and covered carefully by Jill at the water's edge and Clair up high, splashed out until they could grab the closer woman and pull her to safety.

The waves breaking over Alice's head, submerging her for moments at a time caused K-Mart to bounce up and down anxiously until she saw her mom had the second woman in a lifesaving grip and was towing her to shore. She rushed to meet her Dad and Sam and then waited on the beach until she could help her mother pull the other woman to safety and then carry the almost unconscious woman up and over the rise and down to the convoy's camp, where she was treated for shock and hypothermia.

All attention turned to the first woman who was covered in a blanket with a hot cup of tea that Angie had fixed for her in her hands. Alice was the one who spoke first.

"What in the world is going on?"

The woman looked over the group, shivering under her blanket. Her eyes were pleading. "Please. Please help us."

(To be continued)


	6. Plea for Rescue

Homeward Bound, Part Six by patricia51

(Plea for Rescue)

Alice looked at the group and then back at the woman they had just rescued.

"Perhaps you should take it from the top," she suggested.

The woman nodded. "I'm Sue and my friend there is Linda. We were neighbors back before the infection. We lived on the Northern California coast with our families. Together with our husbands and kids we enjoyed weekend and vacation sailing. We weren't professionals but we were pretty capable amateurs."

She smiled; a smile that was free from mirth. "Part of the challenge, part of the pride, of our sailing is that we never used a motor. In fact, the last boats we bought before the world went to hell didn't even have 'mills', as sail only enthusiasts call engines, on them. The only motor on either of our boats was the required one on the emergency life raft."

"When the word of the infection started to spread we didn't pay it much mind at first. After all, the government kept saying there was nothing to worry about." At the near universal snort that comment received Sue nodded. "We took it with a grain of salt but at the same time we didn't want to panic. But we did start making some general preparations in case things went bad."

She shook her head. "Of course we had no idea at all how bad things were going to get. The rumors were flying fast and the government was still claiming everything was just fine, that any day they would have a cure for what was being described as a 'mild viral infection'. Then cities and after a while whole section first of the country and then of the entire world were falling silent. Even at the very end, when it could broadcast only sporadically the last official radio station told everyone not to panic, things were going to be alright."

"From the sounds of the last broadcast I'd venture to say that in the midst of one last lie that the station was overrun by zombies." She hesitated. "I know this sounds awful but I can remember thinking 'serves them right'. Had they stopped their lying and told the people what was really going on perhaps more people could have escaped to places of safety. Like we did."

"Where did you go?" asked Alice.

"We went out to sea. We packed our boats with all the supplies we could and sailed away. But not too far. We thought that perhaps eventually the infection would burn itself out, as epidemics always have in the past. But whenever and wherever we touched land we found that the numbers of the undead were growing and that if we camped too long they would be drawn to us. So eventually we started remaining at sea longer and longer. We found others like us that had escaped from the mainland. We started carrying off things on our visits to the shore; other boats sure and supplies but anything that would float that we could use to build a haven."

She shrugged. "It was funny. We joked about building an atoll like in the movie 'Waterworld'. What we didn't count on was that there would be 'Smokers' in our world too; motor driven pirates who would start to raid us. After all," her lips twisted, "why build when you can steal?"

"We weren't completely defenseless. We had seen the results of a couple of zombie attacks even before we took off to sea. But rifles and shotguns can only do so much against machine guns and grenade launchers. We finally had to abandon our atoll and scatter. Linda and I and our families decided to stick together. Since most of the attacks had seemed to come from the South we sailed our two boats north."

"And we sailed right into the pirates. Hell we nearly sailed right into their base. Before we even knew what was happening they were all over us. They killed my husband and badly wounded Linda's and took us all prisoner."

"By 'all" I guess you mean your children too?" Jill asked.

"Yes. They separated us but let us see them every now and then. They were hostages for our good behavior. I didn't understand at first why they kept us alive but then I, we," Sue indicated Linda, "figured it out. You can't be a good pirate king without having servants or slaves to lord it over and boast to about how great you are."

The group exchanged looks. All except Chris and Angie had first hand experience as to what happened when people like that managed to gain control of others. Fortunately for the brutalized group of survivors that man had kinged it over them had his goons make the mistake of kidnapping K-Mart to be one of his "wives". Alice and Carlos had tracked their daughter to the "throne room" where the so-called marriage ceremony was about to take place and after eliminating his followers had watched as the remaining survivors had swiftly, and messily, dealt with their self-proclaimed leader.

"So how did you come to be here?" Chris inquired.

"It was a sudden chance to make a break for it. You see, we, and by that I mean not only the people of our old atoll but also other groups who had banded together as well as individual drifters, have always outnumbered the raiders but we had no idea where to find the pirates. They always had the advantage but if Linda and I could gather enough people we could strike them at THEIR base."

Sue looked wretched for a moment. "It was a terrible choice when Linda and I found ourselves out on one of the captured sailing boats. It was a chance to go free and go for help but we had to leave our children and Linda's husband behind. It was a hard choice but we were to the point that if we didn't do something we might never have another chance. Plus," the woman looked very grim, "my oldest daughter is approaching the age of your two girls there. It won't be long before that scum think of her as grown."

Jill and Alice looked at each other. That they understood.

"We had a head start of several hours but unfortunately sails are generally no match for engines when it comes to a pursuit. About an hour ago they caught up to us. We had already turned in towards shore when Linda spotted you flare. I guess the rest you know,"

"Where IS this hideout?" asked Chris, thinking once more as the law-enforcement officer he had once been.

"It's not more than fifty miles to the north in an old mansion that sits on a high cliff over the ocean."

Startled Alice pulled out the map and satellite photos. "This place?"

Sue looked at the pictures. "Why yes that's it. How did you come by these?"

"A friend who still has access to certain satellites. What puzzles me though is he checked the place several times and never saw any sign of activity."

"He probably wouldn't. The cliffside beneath the house is honeycombed with caves and tunnels and corridors that connect them. It's a virtual underground warren. Conversations I overheard indicted that the place has been used for smuggling as far back as Prohibition a century ago. Likewise it seems that the pirates are the descendants of the original bootleggers and as such have developed a pattern of activity for many years, which includes NOT being obvious or doing things during daylight hours. Obviously there would be exceptions," she added, referring to the chase and shoot out that had just taken place. "They don't even occupy the house itself

"Our hopes of contacting our friends were just shot out from underneath us. I am very grateful to you for saving our lives but without your help I can see no way of saving our children. So again I ask for your help."

Alice looked at her friends. All seemed willing but also uneasy. She spoke.

"Your plight touches us. We've even been in your shoes. But we need to know a lot more. How many are there? How are they armed? And most of all won't they be expecting us?"

"I can fill in all those details. They don't follow much in the way of security. In fact they are so sure of themselves that they boast about everything they have. Including," she added almost fiercely, "the location of both of the secret passages that lead from the old abandoned mansion down into the caves."

The discussion became intense after that. There really was no question in the minds of K-Mart and Angie's parents that they would go to the assistance of the children held captive. Claire and Sam fell into line quickly as well. Then the rest of the day was spent finding out everything that Sue could tell them about the layout and the people involved.

Linda had regained consciousness but seemed dazed and withdrawn, unable to offer much herself but corrarborated most of the information that Sue provided. Still there was enough for the group, all seasoned and experienced fighters, even the teens by now, to draw sketch maps and plan out a course of action.

It had added extra weight to their packs but both Jill and Chris had refused to leave behind the night vision goggles that had been brought to LA on the helicopter when Jill and Claire had come to search for Angie. This would have allowed for a simultaneous attack through both entrances to the underground complex but Linda and Sue refused to be separated.

In a way that simplified things. Alice and Chris would lead with the twp former captives right behind them, protected by Carlos and Jill. Claire and Sam would bring up the rear. Silenced weapons would be used as long as they could manage to move stealthily. They would bring their vehicles as close as possible, the satellite map indicating a draw that ran nearly to the corner of the property by a crumbling brick wall and go in on foot from there.

Alice and Jill were firm on one thing and Carlos and Chris backed them up. The girls would NOT be going in with them. They would stay and protect the vehicles. There was an argument but finally K-Mart and Angie surrendered.

Dusk had settled over the landscape when the group made their move. Engines off they had coasted the last few hundred feet, alert for anything that would tell them they had been discovered. Weapons, equipment and radios were checked one more time. K-Mart and Angie were hugged by all and assured of the adults' love. Then the attackers melted into the darkness.

K-Mart and Angie waited, the latter sneaking an occasional look at the luminous dial of the old fashioned wind up watch she had been given by Chris. After ten minutes she nodded to her best friend. Without a word the two teen girls adjusted their pistol belts, picked up their shotguns and set off after their parents and friends

Thinking about the command they had been given K-Mart whispered to herself.

"As if!"

(To be continued)


	7. The Raid

Homeward Bound, Part Seven by patricia51

(The Raid)

Alice led the way into the once thought to be abandoned mansion. For a change Sam was right behind her, his ten gauge auto loading shotgun covering first one side and then the other. Sue and Linda were next providing sotto voice directions.

Before they had actually entered the house Jill had been forced to take Sue and Linda aside.

"You make too much noise," the former Raccoon City PD officer told them bluntly. "Step quietly. Hold hands if you need to do so. Feel with your foot for anything under it that might make a noise before you put you weight on it. And for heaven sake stop whispering. Whispers carry much farther than you might think. Speak in an undertone, just above a whisper."

She held up her hand. "I know how anxious you are about this but one miss-step can ruin the whole operation. Don't worry. Chris and I are both veterans of The Special Tactics and Rescue Service of our former department. We KNOW hostage rescue. And the others are as determined as we are to help you and every bit as skilled in combat. So stay close, be still and keep your heads down."

The group entered through the shattered remnants of once had been extremely elegant French doors. Sam shook his head at the waster of it all; stained glass had once filled the mahogany hand crafted doors. Unknown to everyone, except of course Claire, Sam Treadwell had once dreamed of being an architect and he still appreciated beautifully designed houses and building of all sorts.

Soft clicks in the earpieces of the headset radios and hand signals sent Carlos, Chris and Claire fanning across what was probably once the formal dining room. All that remained of the furnishings were splintered pieces of charred wood, indicating a fire had once been constructed in the corner and broken pieces of fine bone china that looked to have been carelessly and heedlessly thrown against the wall just to see them break.

The trio checked the adjoining rooms. There was no sign of anyone and no indications that anyone, living or undead, had been there in recent memory. Making sure they kept each other in sight they continued to circle through the bottom floor of the old mansion. Finding nothing they returned to where the others were waiting and signaled the "All Clear".

Following the directions Sue had given them the party moved to the former study. There were only a few books left on the shelves and most of those looked rotted. It appeared most had been burned in the massive fireplace that dominated one wall of the room.

Alice reached up into the chimney, her fingers exploring. They found the hidden lever above the heavy cast iron damper and pulled it. A click sounded through the stillness of the room. She scrambled out of the firebox and moved to the right side. She tipped one of the ornamental andirons set on that side of the brick hearth. Another click followed and part of the bookcase abutting the fireplace swung open slightly. Well balanced and obviously maintained it took only a gentle push to open all the way, revealing a set of stairs leading down. A dim but steady illumination spilled through the opening, causing the night vision goggles to be doffed

Claire looked suspicious. "Why are the lights on?" she asked softly.

"They leave the stairway and most of the cave lights lit all the time," Sue reassured the former convoy leader, "except for the areas where it might be seen from outside or the sea." She shrugged. "They use a wave powered generator for electricity so it's not like it costs them anything."

Alice nodded. That made sense but something seemed to be tugging at her sharpened senses. She looked down the stairway and concentrated. Nothing. It was her turn to shrug then and she led the way down, indicating to Chris, who was bringing up the rear, to leave the door slightly open.

The party vanished. Nothing moved. Several minutes passed and then two slender figures slipped in from the direction of the dining room.

"For a moment I thought we were caught," Said Angie quietly.

"Me too," agreed K-Mart just as softly. "You know, my mom has extraordinary senses caused by her bonding with the T-Virus. She can somehow sense me, and probably Dad too, even at a distance if she concentrates. It's how they found me when I had been kidnapped back in the hidden valley. I felt her just then, reaching out. I guess because I was concentrating on her and she was probably looking ahead she didn't pick me up."

Angie nodded as she moved to the hidden door and peeked down it. K-Mart joined her and they both listened intently until the faint sounds of the main party's movement had just about faded away. Then they followed and once more the room was empty.

The stairway went down and down curving to the left as it went, leading the party around in nearly a full circle Alice judged. Three doors were encountered, old-fashioned hand-made wooden ones that led off to who knew what. Sue shook her head telling them she had never seen them opened. Twice the walls of the tunnel changed from smooth concrete to rough hewn native stone and then back again.

Brighter light finally appeared ahead of them and the stairway ended in a large cavern that showed signs of being partially natural and partially artificial. The stairway continued down on the other side of the room. To the far right was what looked like the pathway from the other hidden entrance that Sue had mentioned.

Mounds of material lay everywhere. Some was covered by tarps or was in wooden or metal crates. Much was simply piled carelessly on pallets or the floor. Electronics, jewelry, canned supplies of every size and type, even furniture and two near complete cars lay scattered around.

"Everything ends up here except weapons and fuel. The guns and ammo are kept in an arms room off to the right while fuel is stored in a bunker down at the sea level." Sue pointed one way and then the other.

"The prison cells are further down. We have to go one more level to one of the caverns that's almost at sea level. In fact a short tunnel leads from there to the hidden boat docks. But we'll go the other way once we reach that level."

"Where IS everyone?" muttered Sam.

"They must be out on a raid," replied Sue. "That will give us a chance to rescue our families and then set a trap for them when they return."

Alice nodded although she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on that she should osmehow be aware of. She waved the rest of the group on, lingering for a short spell before she shook her head and followed the others down the stairs.

K-Mart and Angie both released breaths they had held for what had seemed like ten minutes. They peeked around the corner again.

"That nearly was it."

"We are in SO much trouble if we get caught."

"Then let's not get caught."

The teens scampered across the cavern, paying no attention to the stuff laying there. They listened intently at the beginning of the next set of stairs and then moved on. Their athletic shoes, found at an old Wal-Mart backroom (K-Mart had grumbled about supporting the competition but wore them anyway), made no sound audible beyond a few feet. They had slung their shotguns but each one held their pistol, muzzle down and finger off the trigger but ready to be brought into action in an instant if need be.

Occasionally they paused. They wanted to be close enough to hear the main party but not so close that the reverse was true. In spite of their comments they knew perfectly well that sooner or latter they'd have to come out of hiding but that would happen when it happened and they counted on puppy-dog eyes to at least soften Carlos and Chris.

"Dads are like that," Angie had pointed out. K-Mart had agreed and nearly giggled, recalling her Dad's stunned expression when he and her Mom had rescued her and he had seen the "wedding dress" she had been wearing prior to the, fortunately rudely interrupted by her parents, forced marriage ceremony. Like most girls she knew she pretty much had her Dad wrapped around her finger and she knew Angie was rapidly doing that to Chris as well.

Angie held up a hand. K-mart saw that the stairs had ended once again. On either side of the entrance to the cave ahead there were little niches carved out. My mutual, if unspoken, consent, Angie slipped into one and K-Mart the other. Both strained their ears but could only hear bits and pieces of what was being said.

"Over there... door... prisoners... family..." seemed to be Sue talking while Alice was saying something about spreading out.

Suddenly the talk was interrupted by a loud roar. At the same time a brilliant flash of light nearly blinded the teens even though they were not in the direct line of whatever in the world was throwing out such light. The thunder of the explosion had barely subsided when an obviously amplified voice shouted.

"Don't move!"

(To be continued)


	8. Captured

Homeward Bound, Part Eight by patricia51

(Captured)

"Don't move!"

A moment of complete silence filled the cavern after that command. Before anything else took place the two teenaged girls heard a new voice speak. A male voice that immediately set both K-Mart's and Angie's teeth on edge.

"I realize Alice; I may call you Alice, may I not? Alice Abernathy-Olivera sounds so formal and I believe that you and I are destined to become very close over the next few weeks. Alice I know that you are capable of amazing mental and physical feats. However no matter how fast you are, no matter how powerful your mind is, there is no way that you can disable all the weapons being aimed at your little groups before some of them fire."

"I admit that we would probably not kill you. That actually is a relief; my instructions from Chairman Wesker are very specific. You and the teenaged girl Angela Ashford, pardon me, Angela Valentine I understand she is now known as, are urgently wanted in the Umbrella Corporation labs in Tokyo."

The voice changed inflection. "Officer Valentine I assume you are about to utter some phrase along the lines of 'Over my dead body'. I assure you that could be accomplished quite easily. However if you behave yourself there really is no reason why you couldn't accompany your adopted daughter. Granted you would be a hostage for her good behavior as well but we have no intentions of subjecting her to the crude and painful procedures those idiots in Los Angeles were intending. She is much more valuable alive rather than in pieces."

"Speaking of her..." There was a pause as the speaker was apparently double checking the view he had of the group. When he resumed there was an edge to his voice.

"Morgana!"

"Yes sir," came the reply. Instantly both girls knew who it was. It was the woman who had been calling herself Linda.

"Where are the brats?"

"Brats!" hissed Angie before she regained control of herself. In spite of the situation K-Mart had to restrain a giggle at the look of outrage on her best friend's face. She made a "calm down" gesture from her side of the opening.

"They were left to guard the vehicles, sir."

"Take a squad and go get them," the man directed. "Angela may not be hurt. If you have to injure the other one to convince her of your desire to follow instructions than you may."

"Ah Ahhhhh, Alice. Don't get excited. I won't hesitate to use this dart gun on you. The sedatives loaded in each dart will put even you out. And if I were to miss and hit, say, your husband there, well, it might be too much even for his system."

Angie heard a strange noise that took her a moment to identify. It was K-Mart grinding her teeth in frustration, a sound that stopped when they heard Linda's, or rather Morgana's voice approaching.

"You three come with me. And you two as well."

Boot heels rapped sharply on the cavern floor. The girls realized they were not just coming their way but were almost on top of them. Angie cast a look up the winding stairway and shook her head. To move fast enough to escape to the cave above ahead of the oncoming party they would almost certainly make some noise. And they might not make it anyway; the boots were approaching very quickly.

With only seconds to make a decision the two girls looked at each other. Both were wearing dark jeans and shirts. Angie had adopted K-Mart's habit of wearing a cap and both had tucked their hair up under those caps. They nodded to each other and each pressed herself as far as she could into the shadowy hoped for safety of the hollowed niche on her side of the entryway. Tiny clicks told each one the other had her pistol in hand and was ready to fire if they were discovered. Then dark shapes were filing through the doorway and Angie and K-Mart held their breath.

"Just keep going, just keep going," K-Mart silently urged the black clad men who followed Morgana up the stairs.

"Don t look around, don't look back," Angie tried to mentally instruct the group of Umbrella soldiers.

And then the dark line was nothing but footsteps clattering up the stairway, the curl of the design taking them out of sight. The girls managed shallow breaths and then nodded again to each other. They inched forward and peeked into the vast room just in time to see their parents and friends being marched away through an opening to the left. One of the heavy wooden doors similar to those they had passed closed behind them and their captives.

The girls slipped from the archway and sped quickly across the rough floor of the cavern. They had almost reached their objective when the door groaned and started to swing open again.

K-Mart grabbed Angie's hand as the other girl instinctively started to raise her pistol. Shaking her head the blonde teen pulled the other one across the cavern to pile of equipment where they took cover just in time.

Peeking out through a gap in one of the tarps that covered whatever in the world they were sheltering behind they saw a man in the uniform of an Umbrella officer enter the cave accompanied by a couple of what had to be junior officers and a full dozen guards in the ubiquitous facelessness of the black helmets and garb.

"Guard this door," the man instructed the group. "Let no one in who does not have a pass from me and me alone. The only exception is that Operative Morgana may pass if and only if she is bringing the two teenagers in whose descriptions I have given you. Or just the one if she finds it necessary to eliminate the taller blonde one." He shrugged. "That one is of no importance."

The voice had immediately identified the man as the one who had mocked their parents during the capture. The girls studied him and exchanged glances that promised volumes of what they would do to him should it be required to help their parents and friends escape.

"You," the man indicated one of the lesser officers, "remain here. Remember, Chairman Wesker does not accept failure and neither do I. Let them escape and you know what your fate will be."

"Yes sir, Major Halstead." The junior officer saluted, a salute Halstead returned almost offhandedly.

"You," he beckoned to the other officer, "may accompany me to the radio room. I need to inform the Chairman and Major Turner of our progress and summon the ship that was headed originally for Los Angeles to meet us here." Turning on his heel he headed for the far staircase. Once more Angie and K-Mart melted into the shadows, remaining motionless until he disappeared up the stairs.

Angie brought her mouth to K-Mart's ear. "What do we do now? We haven't much time before they discover we're not at the vehicles."

K-mart nodded, and then brightened. "I think they'll search for us up top side for a while. She's not going to just come back and report she didn't find us. In the meantime," the taller girl pointed to a nearby opening, an opening that carried the sound of the sea to them. "Maybe we can go around."

As they prepared to move a portion of the pile they were hiding behind where the tarp had slipped off caught K-Mart's eyes. As Angie moved first the blonde girl hastily grabbed some items from two open boxes, stuffed them in various pockets and followed her friend.

Fortunately the cavern was dim, concealing the teens as they crawled from one pile to another. Following what they had been taught they moved one at a time, the motionless one covering the other as she moved. K-Mart blessed the face shields of the Umbrella troopers' helmets. She had examined them before all the way back to Sam's and found that while they were great for cutting out the glare of the sun they left the wearer at a distinct disadvantage in dim light. But they WERE part of the troopers' uniforms so they wore them unthinkingly she supposed.

The last part of their escape was the most dangerous. A full ten yards of open floor stretched between their position and the opening they were aiming for. This close, the booming of the waves was much louder and they could smell the salt air. Giving each other a quick glance and a hand squeeze they got all the way down on their tummies and slowly crawled over the floor. The irregular nature of the cave floor helped for although it made crawling harder it provided some shadows and tiny hiding places that the girls used.

Using the training their parents and friends had given them the teens kept watch on the guards from the corners of their eyes, rather then looking directly at them.

"A person may actually begin to sense that someone is watching them," Carlos had told them in the days while they waited for Claire to heal enough to travel. "Plus you can see motion quicker from the corner of your eye while looking straight ahead."

At first neither K-Mart nor Angie had believed it but demonstrations had shown them it was true. So they kept their eyes fixed on their objective, freezing into immobility whenever they saw movement. In seemed to take hours but were no more than a couple of minutes before they rolled out of sight of the guarded doorway and sprang to their feet.

A short dash down a tunnel through the rock brought them out on to a sandy shore. Waves lapped at their feet. To the right the water was obviously deeper for several boats bobbed up and down at the wooden docks that they were tied to. To the right a sailing boat of the type that had brought Morgana to them was grounded on the sand, its mast lowered to the deck.

Farther out the cavern roof curved down until it almost touched the water.

"The tide must be in," noted Angie.

"Look!" said K-Mart almost fiercely as she grasped her friend's arm.

All the way to the left the beach followed the cavern wall until it ended in a spit of solid rock. Beyond that there was a light. A dim yellow light shaped like a window. A window that showed bars all along its length. Straining their ears the girls heard familiar murmured voices.

"It's them!"

The teens raced to the rocky point. The way was barred by about fifty feet of ocean. Impulsive as always K-mart jammed her pistol into her holster and started to wade out towards the beckoning light. Even when it reached her waist she kept going, preparing to push off and swim to her parents. Then there was a splash and Angie grabbed her collar and with nearly frantic strength yanked her friend back to land.

"What is it?" asked an exasperated K-Mart.

"There's something in the water."

(To be continued)


	9. The Girls to the Rescue

Homeward Bound, Chapter 9

(The Girls to the Rescue)

"There's something in the water."

"Where? What?" K-Mart gave a frantic glance at the yellow square of light that had been her destination before looking wildly over what seemed to be a placid surface, protected from the waves that washed where the boats were docked. However she completely trusted her best friend and assisted her in pulling herself back to the rocky point and out of the water.

"I'm not sure," admitted Angie. "But I felt something."

For several seconds the two girls scanned the water. Then Angie gripped K-Mart's arm with one hand and pointed with the other.

"There!"

At first it was only ripples in the water. Then a triangular fin broke the surface, a fin that pointed right at them. The girls moved back instinctively although they were already well out of and above the water. A dark shadow could be made out through the water now. That shadow was large and moved slowly towards them. Then the shape slammed out of the concealing liquid and up against the rocks.

Both girls stifled screams. For the Great White shark whose massive head lunged out of the water at them not only displayed the huge mouthful of razor sharp teeth but was also molted and disfigured in a terrifying but familiar fashion.

"My GOD, it's infected," hissed Angie.

"How is that possible? I mean. Certainly nothing bit IT," K-mart replied. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

K-Mart explained about the crows' attack on the convoy and how Alice and Claire had decided that they had caught the T-virus by feeding on infected bodies.

"Maybe it fed on zombies that fell over the cliff, were somehow washed out to sea or even came from infected ships," she concluded.

Angie thought for a moment. "Perhaps but there's even another possibility."

"What's that?"

"That this is the result of a deliberate experiment by Umbrella to create a perfect underwater guardian."

K-Mart shook her head. "I guess we really can't put anything past them but you would think after destroying most of the world they would learn. Anyway, what are we going to do? We can't depend on that search party being gone forever. Heck, someone might wander in here for some reason or another."

She glared at the shark, now slid back in the water, then looked over towards the cell window. Her gaze followed the rock wall from there back to them.

"That will work!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"Look over there. The wave action over the years, or heck over the centuries for all I know, has worn away the rock. There's a shelf there just above the water line. I bet I could either crawl along it or stand with my back to the wall and inch along it all the way to the window."

"Even if you could, what could you do there?"

K-Mart grinned. "I found some goodies in the cavern that will take those bars out. And some more stuff to use once I get in there."

"That's great but I see one flaw in your plan," Angie told her friend. "The moment you crawl out on that ledge that shark is going to go for you. Look how far out of the water it lunged for us here. It wouldn't have any trouble reaching you."

"Then what are we going to do?" a nearly completely frustrated K-Mart asked.

Angie thought for a moment. "I wonder," she mused. She took K-Mart's hand. "Follow me."

The two girls moved quickly along the sand, passing the boats and reaching the other end of the cave. They stood silently and waited, K-Mart fidgeting but willing to wait for whatever it was Angie seemed to be expecting. As long as it wasn't TOO long the blonde teen told herself.

"There."

This time Angie's voice sounded almost satisfied as she pointed once more. K-Mart followed her finger again. Sure enough the menacing fin had appeared. It followed along the shoreline until it reached their position. This time it made no attempt to lunge up out of the water at them. Rather it remained motionless in the water.

"How is it following us, especially so quickly?" demanded K-Mart. "I know how keen a shark's sense of smell is but after all, we're NOT in the water."

"I suppose like a human zombie it can sense us as living creatures. But because a shark's senses are so much more acute than a human it finds us much more quickly."

"But why didn't it try to attack us this time?"

"Because," Angie seemed almost matter-of-fact, "Because I'm keeping it from attacking."

"WHAT?"

The shorter girl seemed surprised at herself. "I know."

"How?" Certain that nothing could surprise her anymore K-Mart found she was suddenly reduced to speaking in single word sentences.

"I've been thinking about it. You know your mom bonded with the T-virus in a way that no one else has. It gave her extraordinary powers that I don't think she even understands fully. One of those has been to do things with her mind, telekinesis if you will."

At K-Mart's nod Angie went on. "Well, the original T-virus was designed by my father, my birth father that is, to bond with my body. In my case it was designed for a specific function, to keep my nerve cells from degenerating and paralyzing my lower body. That happened but it didn't leave me immune to the full spectrum T-virus as modified by the Umbrella scientists from what my father first conceived."

"Which why you had those injectors filled with the anti-virus," interjected K-Mart, "which I'm very grateful for because it saved my dad's life."

"Uh-huh. We really never thought anything of it at the time but one of the reasons I suppose Umbrella is after me as well as your mom is the possibility that my body might bond with the virus as well. Until recently I would have said no way. But now..."

"So you can what, make the zombies move around? Push them like my mom can push things with her mind?" Even under the circumstances K-Mart was fascinated with the idea.

"Not exactly. Like I said your mom uses telekinesis. What I do is more along the lines of telepathy. It's like I can feel them and give them instructions. Well, this one anyway."

"Almost," K-Mart said thoughtfully, "the reverse of what Umbrella thought they had done with my mom. Mental control."

"Yes," said Angie. "There's not any real contact in some ways. They don't have thoughts or anything like that, just instincts. But I can urge them in some way to do or not do things. I can't even really explain it. It just started happening. In fact the first time I tried it was the day when my mom had us up on the roof for sniper practice. I couldn't do much but while you were shooting I tried to reach them and have them stand still." She paused. "I wonder why it took so long for this to start?"

"Maybe because you were still growing up?" suggested K-Mart.

"Could be."

"Anyway, how is this going to help us?"

"I think I can hold the shark here long enough for you to scoot along that ledge you showed me to the window. As long as you weren't telling tales about having something to get you into the cell."

"No, I can do that," K-Mart responded confidently.

The two girls hugged tightly.

"Be careful. And quick," Angie said as they broke the embrace.

K-Mart only nodded as she took off towards the other end of the cavern while Angie returned her attention to holding the zombie shark in place.

The blonde teen climbed over the rocks to the shelf. Placing her back against the stones of the cliff she inched sideways as quickly as she could without falling in the water. It took a bit of time but then she was at the barred window.

A glance inside made her sigh in relief. Everyone from their party was there as well as Sue; a man on a stretcher covered in bandages that K-Mart decided must be her husband and a group of four or five children.

Time for that latter. She grabbed the bars and whispered.

"Mom? Dad?"

In a flash her parents and Angie's as well were at the window.

"What are you doing here?" demanded her mom.

"Well at the moment I'm NOT being caught by the goons sent to pick up Angie and me. As for what I m doing HERE," the teen fumbled in her pockets and started laying out an assortment of items on the window's ledge that made everyone's eyes open wide. Well everyone except her dad, who simply got a big grin on his face.

"Where did you get that stuff? And where's Angie?" asked Jill urgently.

K-Mart rapidly explained what was going on as she opened a plastic vial and sprinkled the contents around the base of each bar. Carefully capping the vial she stowed it away before taking out a circular box. From that she unrolled a thin strip of metal, which she wrapped around the top of each bar and the laid through the powder at each one's base. She closed that, returned it to the different pocket she had taken it from and then pulled a plastic tube and connected two wires from it to the metal strip. She looked up on triumph.

"How's that daddy?"

Carlos studied his daughter's setup. "Let's see. Thermite, magnesium strip and igniter. All looks good. Remember to pull the igniter and get away; it's going to be hotter than hell."

"What in the world have you been teaching our daughter?" Alice asked her husband.

"Hey, in this world it's every dad's job to teach his daughter how to handle explosives properly. Everyone get BACK." After they all hastily complied he nodded. "Go ahead sweetheart."

K-Mart pulled the friction fuse of the igniter and backed away as best as she could, covering her eyes from the blinding light of the burning thermite and magnesium. In seconds it was all over and the metal bars were sagging, melted just about all the way through.

Alice eyed the still white hot metal. "Going to be a few minutes before they cool enough to pull free. But good job honey, although we really will have a discussion latter about you doing what you're told."

"Yes Ma'am," K-mart sighed. Then she brightened again. "But on the other hand, if I HAD..."

What the teen was going to say was never finished. For a near scream resounded in her ears, all the more intense when K-Mart realized the cry was not spoken aloud but rather was echoing in her mind. Amazingly it was still in Angie's voice.

"K-Mart! I can't hold it anymore! It's coming!"

The teen froze for a moment. Before she could move her mom and dad had exchanged glances and somehow unspoken words, for Carlos grabbed Alice under the shoulders and held her up as she lashed out at the bars with her boots. The more than human strength snapped them off and dropped several; of them hissing in the water. Then the woman was at the window and in one blinding movement she grabbed her daughter and drug her through the opening to safety. A crash against the wall of the cell told the trio their actions were just in time.

"What in the world was that?" asked Alice.

"And when, and how, in the world did Angie learn to do, well, whatever it was that just happened," added a early dazed Jill.

"Explanations can wait," interjected Sam, who had been listening at the door. I hear angry voices out there. I think that the party that was looking for K-Mart and Angie is back and that Major Halstead is pretty upset that they came back empty handed. I think they're headed this way."  
>Carlos looked at his daughter and lifted an eyebrow. She replied with a grin as she headed for the wooden door, once more reaching in her pockets.<p>

"What else do you have sweetheart?" the ex-Umbrella soldier asked her.

"Some C-4, blasting caps and det cord," she answered.

"Let's make a shape charge and blow this door on top of our unwanted hosts. Everybody else back and everybody get ready."

(To be continued)


	10. The Fight

Homeward Bound, Chapter 10 by patricia51

(The Fight)

With his daughter's help Carlos quickly molded the C-4 plastic explosive into three charges, each with a hollow center. Moving swiftly bur surely the duo placed one charge over the massive iron lock and attached the other two where their force would be directed at the hinges on the other side of the door. Detonating cord was run to all three and hurriedly hooked into another fuse igniter.

Everyone moved back and braced themselves. K-Mart had a moment to notice that Sue, who was obviously a real prisoner, covered her husband and two of the children as best she could. She noted with interest that Sam and Claire positioned themselves so they could be in the hopefully surprise attack but also had themselves between the remaining three children and the door.

K-Mart drew her Walther PPK and double checked that it was loaded, chambered and the safety was off. Her Dad had her shotgun and her Mom had borrowed her boot knife. On a sudden impulse she concentrated.

"Get ready Angie," she thought as hard as she could.

"Ouch!" came the mental reply. "No need to shout K-Mart. I'm right at the entrance from the ocean back into the cavern. I'm ready."

Alice checked everyone. They were ready. And just in time. For loud voices and commands came from the other side of the door. There was the sound of a key being inserted in the lock. With that Alice nodded at her husband.

Carlos pulled the ring. This time because the igniter was hooked to det cord the reaction was almost instantaneous. The heavy wooden door blew completely off it hinges. Even before the smoke cleared the six adult survivors broke into a headlong charge with K-Mart hot on their heels.

The wooden splinters the door had been ripped into had caused fearful execution among the Umbrella personnel who had been on the wrong side of the explosion. The guard detail was practically wiped out and the two groups standing slightly farther on had half their number killed or wounded. K-Mart saw both Major Halstead and the undercover agent Morganna still on their feet.

The stunned Umbrella troops attempted to rally. They still outnumbered the survivors by better than four to one even counting the girls. But the attackers were no ordinary men and women. Alice took two down even before she armed herself with more than her daughter's knife. Carlos and Chris cut a swath through the guards, the former slinging K-Mart's shotgun after firing it empty and snatching up a submachine gun from the rapidly stiffening grip of a storm trooper who had no more use for it. Chris had grabbed two pistols, tossing one to Jill and both demonstrating why they had often posted perfect scores long ago on the Raccoon City PD range.

A thunderous roar gave evidence that Sam had retrieved his ten gauge shotgun. The final straw for the Umbrella troops came when Claire opened fire with a belt fed light machine gun she had scooped up, firing it in short, controlled bursts. The kidnappers scattered and fled.

K-Mart had realized quickly that she had no business in the confused fray. Instead, she took cover by the ruined door, intent on protecting Sue and her helpless husband as well as the group of children. This gave her a perfect spot to watch the fight become a rout in record time. It also let her keep an eye out for Angie.

The first Umbrella combatant to break was the fake pirate victim Morganna, with Major Halstead right on her heels as they headed for the sea cave and presumably a boat to escape in. The Major was, of course, screaming orders to the fast shrinking band of troopers to stand fast. Then, in the splendid tradition of how Umbrella executives treated their subordinates in a crisis he promptly tripped Morganna and then ran over her.

K-Mart had come out of the doorway as the fight slowed just in time to witness a terrifying sight. Angie had appeared and was covering Halstead with her Smith and Wesson. Without slowing his flight for a second the Umbrella officer fired from the hip and Angie went down. Screaming her anger K-Mart ran after the fleeing man. She had just about got him in her sights when a figure hurled itself onto Halstead.

Completely berserk, Chris forgot his weapons in his rage. All he wanted was to get his hands on the man who had felled the young woman he already thought of as his daughter. Halstead, who was trained in hand-to-hand combat even though his courage had deserted him the moment things turned against him fought, with the desperation of a cornered rat. His pistol fallen away, he grappled with the enraged former STARS officer and the pair rolled back and forth on top of each other onto the sand of the beach.

Halstead landed several good shots but they seemed to have no effect on Chris. They tore at each other, kicking and punching. Separating, they both staggered to their feet, cut and bleeding. Chris feinted and landed a front snap kick to the Umbrella officer's chest, which sent him staggering back knee deep in the water.

Halstead regained his balance. But before he could take a single step back to the sand the undead shark lunged from its lurking place. The Umbrella officer didn't even have time to scream before the great jaws closed on him and drug him into the water and out of sight. A few bubbles broke the surface, the water smoothed out and all was placid on the surface again.

Ignoring Halstead's end Chris spun and ran to where Claire was examining Angie with Jill immediately at hand. Alice, Sam and Carlos were inspecting the downed Umbrella soldiers and piling stripped equipment to one side while K-Mart danced back and forth from one foot to another as she hovered over the two women caring for Angie.

Chris dropped to his knees and looked pleadingly at Claire. His shoulders sagged in relief as she smiled.

"Not to worry brother of mine. She was creased by the bullet. She'll have a heckuva headache and maybe a little double vision for a while but she'll be fine." With that Claire gently slipped Angie to Jill, stood up and joined the others. She took K-Mart's hand and led her away, leaving the trio together.

Chris scooted close to the two most important women in his life, even more important than his sister now, dearly though he loved her. Jill smiled through unshed tears and shifted slightly so he could help support Angie, who was now awake. He wrapped one arm around Jill and with a gentle touch that seemed beyond the bulky strength of his body he touched Angie's face.

"How do you feel sweetheart?"

"My head hurts," the teen replied.

"Could have been a lot worse baby," replied her mom.

"Indeed. For a moment there we thought we lost you," Chris admitted.

Jill looked at him. "Sort of lost your temper there didn't you?"

"Well, yes I did."

"What happened?" Angie asked with interest, her eyes showing no sign of the blow to her head.

Jill responded, giving Angie a description of how she had been wounded and the fight between Chris and Halstead, including the end. She pulled no punches but left the description of the Umbrella officer's end without detail other than admitting it was the shark that had finished him. Angie shrugged.

"I didn't like him anyway. He called K-Mart and me brats."

The two adults managed to stifle their laughter. Both hugged the teen girl. Chris looked back and forth at them both.

"I was going to wait until we got home to Alaska to ask but this incident reminded me that we are never sure about tomorrow. So here goes." He took a deep breath. "Jill would you marry me and Angie would you become my daughter as well? I love you both and want us to be a family."

Jill looked at Angie, "What do you think Angela Valentine?"

Angie's eyes were shinning. "Mom, I think I would like very much to be Angela Redfield." She turned slightly, almost managing to suppress the wince from her headache. She wrapped her arms around Chris. "I would love to be your daughter too. I've wanted that for some time now."

"Well," Chris smiled as he enfolded the teen in his arms. "I guess it's all up to you Jill."

"Gee," the dark-haired woman pretended to ponder, "do I have to marry him baby?"

Falling into the spirit Angie grinned. "Normally I would say you could do much better Mom but now-a-days with the lack of available guys I guess you could settle for him."

Chris pretended to groan. "I can see this is going to be something else. Maybe I better run for it while I have a chance."

"Don't you dare," Jill said softly. She leaned over and joined her daughter and future husband in their hug. "The answer is 'Yes'. I've waited long enough for you to ask." She brushed her lips across his.

A throat being cleared brought the trio back to the world around them.

"Not to break this up or anything," Alice said, "but we have got a lot to decide on and I'm not sure how much time we have to decide on it."

"Oh?" asked Jill as the they got to their feet.

"K-Mart told us that she and Angie overheard the late Major Halstead talking about summoning a ship, a ship originally headed to Los Angeles. The purpose of that ship was to pick up Angie and take her to Umbrella HQ in Tokyo. If that ship is headed here we may have a boatload of trouble coming. We need to find out all we can before it gets here. Fortunately," a grim smile broke over her face, "we have someone available to tell us a lot."

"Who?"

"Morganna, aka Linda."

"Why would she talk to us?"

"Because she, like a couple others here, has just experienced what happens to an Umbrella employee once they get in the way of a superior. And she knows that her career there is shot anyway. Inevitably she will be blamed for the debacle here. So let's go see what she can tell us."

(To be continued)

(Ah-HA! Special thanks to two friends here at ff. Harley Quinn Davidson who made the suggestion for the undead shark (definitely belated thanks I know) and WhatHurtsMeMost who listened to my moaning that I couldn't remember who DID make the suggestion and went and found out for me. Without even being asked. You two are both GREAT!)


	11. A Tale of Two Tales

Homeward Bound, Chapter 11 by patricia51

(A Tale of Two Tales)

Alice led the way to where the Umbrella operative was propped up against the wall, her back supported by what the others realized were the bodies of a couple of the umbrella guards.

"Nothing like reminding her what could have happened to her and in fact what still could," whispered Alice to the others.

Claire was already at Morganna's side, frowning at the extent of her injuries. "Your boss really did a number on you," she commented.

"Ex-boss and I know," responded the woman ruefully. "My guess is that I cracked my kneecap when he tripped me and broke my right arm and possibly a rib or two when he trampled me."

"Serves you right," commented Jill, who was still angry about Angie's wound and perfectly willing to take it out on any and all Umbrella members.

"It does indeed," admitted the operative feebly.

"Well I'm going to need some more bandages and something to make a splint out of," Claire commented as she carefully explored the downed woman's side.

"I can show you where the medical supplies are kept," a soft voice spoke from behind the group. K-Mart and Angie recognized her as Sue, the second of the so-called survivors they had rescued. K-Mart was about to make a suspicious remark when she remembered seeing the woman with what she had assumed to be her family locked in the cell with her parents.

Alice noticed the look of doubt on her daughter's face and explained. "Not to worry honey, Sue's family was being held hostage for her playing along with Umbrella. And under the circumstances I might have acted the same way."

Turning towards the woman Alice lifted an eyebrow in a questioning gesture.

"Medical supplies are always welcome but I'm curious why you would volunteer them so quickly for someone who kept you under duress like she did."

Sue smiled the first smile anyone could recall having seen on her face. "Because she didn't keep me under duress. Yes she kept an eye on me during the set-up and our trip up here with you all because it was her job and she is, or perhaps was, a loyal Umbrella employee. It was Major Halstead who captured us, kept us prisoner and threatened to harm my family if I didn't do exactly as he wanted."

She pointed to where Claire was laboring over the Umbrella operative. "It was Morganna who convinced Halstead that there might be some use for us when his troops captured our boat and our friends. She kept us alive and got us food and medical attention. Without her my husband might have died."

"Hmmmmm," Alice replied thoughtfully. "We need to hear more about that, about both of you but for right now let's find those medical supplies."

Alice, along with Carlos and K-Mart followed Sue across the cavern to the other set of stairs. They passed one of the wooden doors and then halted at the second one. Sue wrestled with the old-fashioned iron door knob in exasperation.

"This isn't locked," she said, "Morganna brought me here several times. One of the uses she pointed out to Halstead was that I was trained as an RN. It's just that this door literally IS a hundred years old and sometimes it sticks."

Stuck the door might have been but it yielded to the combined efforts of Carlos and Alice. Sue fumbled inside and flipped a switch, resulting on an overhead light springing to life.

"Wow," Carlos said as he surveyed the shelves of bandages and non-perishable drugs.

"Wow," said Alice as she studied the lighting fixture. "I just realized something. We've seen lighting elsewhere but I've never heard the hum of a generator. Is it located elsewhere or is there some other power system?"

"Both actually," replied Sue as she quickly rifled through the supplies on the shelves. "I'll tell you all about it soon."

The group closed the door and headed back down. Sue splinted Morganna's arm, carefully wrapped her ribs and treated the various cuts and bruises the Umbrella woman had received. Several pain-killers were doled out, both to her and to Angie to relieve the headache of the near fatal shot.

"May I suggest," asked Morganna after Sue had checked on her husband, "that we move this discussion to the command center? It's up that same stairway you took to the medical locker but it's the first door. It's a lot more comfortable there."

"And how do we know that it's not a trap of some kind? There could be a dozen Umbrella troopers there."

"There could," admitted Morganna, "but there's not. I've been looking over the bodies as you checked them. Everyone is accounted for. Halstead brought the duty officer and the communications operator here. Completely against regulations but I think he wanted to make sure that nothing was transmitted to corporate and Chairman Wesker until he had made you tell him where Angie and K-Mart were."

A general consensus was reached by the group simply by exchanging looks and nods. Chris, Alice and Carlos cautiously led the way. This time the old wood door opened easily to reveal a very comfortably furnished area as well as niche containing up-to-date communications equipment and computers.

"And over there," Morganna pointed out, "is the conference room and Major Halstead's quarters."

The conference room was sparse but roomy. Halstead's personal quarters were, as usual for Umbrella higher-ups, luxuriously furnished.

Everyone settled in at the conference room. A pair of couches was used to make Sue's husband Donald and Morganna reasonably comfortable. The couple's two children sat with their father. K-Mart raised an eyebrow slightly and hid a smile as she noticed that the other three children sat with Claire and Sam.

"Okay Sue," Alice Said. "You've got the floor." The slight woman nodded and started.

(Sue's tale)

"Much of what you have been told before is true. My family and the original Linda and hers were indeed survivors who took to our boats to avoid the infection and the zombies. For several years we stayed out at sea most of the time, only occasionally touching land to look for spare parts, repair materials and other things we couldn't get out on the ocean. We also did begin to gather in groups and establish permanent floating gathering places at sea, most of them built around abandoned ships. As time went on we gathered plants and dirt from the land and started gardens and crops on our refuges.

"We did indeed occasionally have troubles with raiders. Some of them were just desperate people who had abandoned all thoughts of civilization in their attempts to survive. Those we were often able to make peace with and indeed welcome into our communities. Some were too far gone for that and we had to deal with them. And some, like the original inhabitants here, preferred stealing already. The collapse of the world just made it easier for them.

"Most of the raiders were in groups too small to be more than a nuisance. The group that came from here was much more than that. They were no ad-hoc group of survivors thrown together and without organization. They had boats, they had supplies and they had an organization. In the confusion of the early days of the wide-spread infection they had beaten off several zombie attacks and while they lost some members they finally solved their problem by withdrawing into the caverns below the mansion and sealing the two secret entrances.

"We did manage to fight them off several times and thinned their numbers. We did pull on spectacular ambush, having tipped off a suspected informant planted in another group that we had located a large fuel supply at a marina built on one of the coastal islands. We were waiting for them when they showed up.

"We knew that we had not eliminated them all but weeks and weeks passed with no further contact with them or word about them. So we took a chance. We had long known about their hideout here so Donald and I, and Linda and her husband Randy from another community volunteered to take a look.

"If it sounds strange that we took our families with us rather than leaving them, well, as you have obviously learned," here she nodded at Angie, K-Mart and their parents, "There is no sure and safe haven. We were only planning on making a quick recon of the area. In the past we had learned the safest way to do that is to approach when the wind is blowing out to sea. If pursued we go out into the deep waters. Because of their limited gas supply the pirates never wanted to get too far from land.

"We came as close as we dared on a first pass and saw no signs of life. Their boats were as you see them, pulled up on the shore. We anchored and came ashore onto the sand out there in our dinghies. Over at the storage room that became the jail cell we found several fairly recent zombies beating on the door. We killed them and found the door had been barricaded from the inside. Eventually we managed to open it and found two dead men in there. One had scribbled some notes before dying.

"It seems that our ambush had really done more damage than we knew. During a raid on the coast by the few survivors one of the men had been bitten. He turned and attacked the others one night, killing all but the two who took refuge in that room, which had originally been set up as a storeroom for high value loot." Sue got a grim look on her face. "Once in they couldn't get out." Nods by everyone showed that they understood what had happened.

The ocean going survivor looked embarrassed. "We should have left immediately but we lingered. There was so much good stuff here. And that undead shark is our fault; we threw the bodies in the ocean, never thinking what that might cause. So we stayed a few days, picking out what we needed the most. Then Umbrella showed up."

"Maybe we should have just surrendered but we're not used to that. You don't survive in this world by being meek. But the heavily armed Umbrella troopers overcame us. Linda and Randy were killed and Donald was wounded. I thought they were going to kill all of us but," she looked at Morganna, "a certain someone convinced him not to do it. A few days ago Morganna came to me and explained that she needed my assistance to capture several people badly wanted by the corporation. She emphasized that the objective was to take them alive."

"I didn't have much choice. I knew she was the one keeping Halstead from simply throwing us all to the undead shark that had appeared by then. So I agreed and I guess the rest you know."

The survivors' faces turned expectantly to Morganna, who nodded and began to talk.

(Morganna's Story)

"My name is Morganna. Morganna Combs if that is important. I've worked for Umbrella since I got out of college ten years ago with a degree in of all things accounting. My college was paid for by Umbrella with the understanding I would come to work for them. I started out as an auditor in a subsidiary location here on the coast and then was transferred to the main facility in Los Angeles. By then it had became apparent that I had a flair for detecting BS. A supervisor thought that since I could spot it I might be able to sling it as well. So I was pulled and sent to a specialized training facility Umbrella maintained to train its intelligence and counter-intelligence operatives. I did really well.

"When the collapse came I had been working as an industrial espionage agent for several years. I was good. I infiltrated rival corporations and stole technical data and research. The money was good and I didn't have too much trouble justifying my actions. In fact I reveled in how good I was at the game. I never got caught and in most cases was never even suspected.

"When the infection started Umbrella was sure it could be contained and that it would be business as usual. I wasn't so sure. I had worked several bio-research operations and knew more than I should have perhaps about those things. So I hot-footed myself to the Canadian complex, buried like most Umbrella secret facilities, and survived when the order came to seal it.

"That facility was decimated by the raid they launched against you in Montana. Things kept going for a while but finally we were ordered to shut down. Major Halstead and his team had arrived in Los Angeles from the Central American complex only hours after you had reduced it to ruins. They were ordered off the coast and then to pick up me and the last members of our operation. It was during that wait that you all were preparing to start your travel up the coast that we learned about the survivor groups on the water.

"Umbrella has always considered that theirs is theirs and what you have that they want is theirs too. Intercepted messages gave away your plans. Umbrella has snooper programs on many satellites, including the one you used to communicate with Alaska. The decision was made to ambush you here.

"I may be a thief at best but I am no murderer. I couldn't stop what happened when Halstead took this place but I could try to keep Sue and her family and the other children alive. I convinced Halstead how useful they would all be as a lure and how I could use Sue to help me infiltrate your group. That of course required that they be kept healthy as well.

"I've been thought of as being fairly clever but I was at my wits end. Any sign of weakness or hesitation and Halstead would no more have worried about tossing me to the shark that he would have any of you. Sue went along with me not only because of the threat to her family but because I hoped I could get her and them released once you had been captured. Not much of a heroic solution but I'm a spy, not a hero.

"In the end you all proved smarter and more determined than Halstead. So here we are."

"Here we are indeed," said Alice.

(To be continued)


	12. Paul Revere Rides Again

Homeward Bound, Chapter 12 by patricia51

(Paul Revere Rides Again)

"Tell us about this ship you mentioned," Claire asked Morganna.

"Not that I know a lot about ships," the Umbrella undercover operative, now pretty much confirmed to be a former Umbrella operative, "but I understand that it's a large ocean going cargo ship. There aren't many of them left. Most were abandoned by their crews or overrun by the infection. From what I have heard the corporation was lucky to get hold of the Arcadia."

"Arcadia?" asked Chris.

"That's its name or at least its call sign."

"Probably doesn't matter," shrugged Carlos.

"Not the name but its existence might mean a lot. As might its course," said Claire thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking Claire?" inquired Alice.

The former convoy leader looked at Morganna. "What would happen to any of those individual boats or floating communities if the Arcadia were to sight any of them?"

"You know Umbrella's motto," replied the injured woman. "What mine is mine and what's yours is mine too. They would almost certainly attempt to capture and loot any vessel they came across. Umbrella still thinks it controls the world and that includes the seas."

"How heavily armed is it?" asked Carlos.

"I know that it does have a couple of cannons and at least one missile launcher for shipboard weapons. It also carries a couple of Umbrella VTOL planes on catapults and carried a heavily armed security force. For specifics I think we'd have to check the computer. I'm sure Tokyo sent Halstead full particulars."

Sue and her husband immediately grasped the implications of what the group was discussing. "We have to warn everyone out there!"

"What do you all think?" Alice looked over the group.

"I think we don't have any choice," her husband was the first to respond Umbrella has always been our enemy and will never stop trying to take you Alice and Angie too for their own purposes. They don't care about the devastation they'd laid on the world and on humanity; they think that's just the cost of doing business. Innocent people will be hurt if we stand by and do nothing."

"And there's fewer and fewer people each year, at least outside of Alaska as far as we know," commented Jill.

"Okay," Sam put in. "I guess trying to hi-jack the ship seems out of the question." he looked at Morganna.

"Pretty much I would think, even for your group. There isn't much on the high seas anymore. Umbrella rules there except in the South Pacific."

"What's there?" asked K-mart, unable to stay out of the conversation.

"There's nuclear aircraft carrier battle group that stayed out to sea as the infection raged. Many of the crew took opportunities to desert but enough remained to continue to man the carrier and two of the escorts. Once the infection had stopped spreading except by actual physical contact with a zombie they started recruiting new crew members. There were already some women on board. Now it's a thriving community."

Morganna sighed. "Of course when the Australian branch of the corporation heard about that they must have started drooling over the idea of seizing three warships. They launched every aircraft available with pretty much every trooper available. Not a good idea."

"Oh?"

A reluctant but also somewhat mischievous grin touched the former operative's lips. "The carrier still had several operation F18 Hornets as well as the escorts' weapons. They blew the attackers out of the sky. That so weakened the Umbrella facility in Australia that several months latter there was no stopping a zombie influx through a failed security door."

"Still though," Morganna went on, "that will probably just make the Arcadia and her crew even more careful. I really think the thing to do is warn everyone to get out of her way. Chairman Wesker isn't going to waste resources that are getting scarcer every day by letting the ship hang around the US West Coast. When they don't find anything he'll probably recall it, especially when he learns the trap set for you has failed."

Within hours the group was on its way. It hard been hard for them to do but the decision had been made to split the party. Sue and her older son were joined by Jill and Chris and of course Angie in manning the sailboat. Their objective was to sail down the coast and warn as many of the individual boats as they could.

"This has to be done using a sailboat," Sue explained. "The people whip stay out by themselves or just with another one or two people will automatically avoid any boat with a mill."

"A mill?" inquired Angie.

"A motor. At least using one as its primary propulsion. A lot of us have an auxiliary engine aboard but a lot of the purists, and most of the single boats fit into that category, won't have any kind of engine on board except perhaps on a lifeboat."

Sue's husband Robert and their younger son would take one of Umbrella's power boats along with Alice, Carlos and K-mart. They would head as fast as possible for the most immediately threatened of the floating communities.

Sue and Morganna had plotted the likely course of the Arcadia and filled in the location of the communities.

"Most likely they'll stick to the old time coastal shipping lanes for deep water vessels," Sue told them. "So you all need to go to this one first," she pointed to a spot on the chart.

Her husband, rapidly improving from his injuries but still stiff and bandaged nodded, "From there we'll follow the possible course to the other two that seem to be at risk."

"Be careful."

Morganna had also revealed how Umbrella had found out the survivors' route and helped find a satellite that Umbrella had not compromised for future communications with Mikey up in Alaska. She would stay behind along with Claire, Sam and to K-Mart and Angie's interest, the three other kids. It seemed there was something in the making there the two teens noted.

The oldest of the three was a boy named Don. In his early teens he was extremely withdrawn and quiet. Sue told the group that Linda and her husband had found him on the shore, wandering aimlessly and barely avoiding a group of zombies. The other two were the young daughters of the deceased couple; Sally and Marian, the former about six and the latter a couple of years older. They also were quiet and shy. Sue explained their parents had been drifters, sailing by themselves and only occasionally touching land or one of the permanent floating communities.

"We'll try to find someone to adopt them once this is all over," the woman concluded.

Judging by the way they were acting with Sam and Claire K-Mart wasn't sure that was going to be necessary; at least in the case of the girls. And the boy, interestingly, seemed fascinated with the computer and Morganna's operation of it. Still, that was all for another time.

"By the way," Claire looked up as the lights flickered, "you never did tell us how these are powered."

"Umbrella brought a diesel generator," Sue answered as preparations hastened for the departure of the two boats. Angie had sent the zombie shark away so they were able to load knee deep in the water safely. The temptation had been to keep it as a guardian of some kind but the teenager's fragile control had slipped once and the decision had been not to try anything like that until her power grew stronger and more reliable.

"But didn't you say you found lights on when you got here?" questioned Chris.

"Yes," Sue pointed to the corner of the sea cave farthest away from the pinnacle of rock where K-mart had crawled to her parents from. "There's a wave-powered generator in there. Not an enormous amount of power but free and continuous."

"Of course Halstead needed much more power than that provided," put in Morganna, "but the wave one still works and in fact is the only thing running right now. Only when the voltage demand rises does the diesel kick in."

"So we'll have lights while you're gone," said Sam.

"And we can monitor the radio," said Sam.

"But only use them when absolutely needed," reminded Morganna. "Umbrella may well be listening."

Silence fell over the group.

"Okay, hey it's not like this is the first time we ve all been apart," Alice said trying to lighten the mood.

"And the sooner we get started the sooner we'll have warned everyone and the sooner we'll be back together and on our way home." added Carlos.

Hugs were exchanged and the boats were launched. Sue directed the sail hoisting and the wind caught the billowing canvas and soon the boat was cutting through the water. The breeze and the salt spray swept Angie's worries away for the moment as the deck heeled under her. She just had enough time to wave once more to K-Mart as the commandeered motor boat's engine roared, taking her best friend and her parents on a diverging course.

The boat sailed on. Sue and her son instructed Angie and her parents on how to handle the sails. It turned out that when Chris had been growing up his best friend's folks had a sailboat. It had been many years but it all came back quickly to him. Watching him handle the tiller with easy confidence on just the second day Angie shook her head. Was there anything her new Dad couldn't do?

By the third day they had crossed paths with several other boats. Once Sue had given the news of the impending intrusion each boat headed in a different direction to pass on the news. Chris and Jill were very satisfied.

"Each time someone else does the Paul Revere thing we increase our chances of everyone knowing the Redcoats are coming," Jill announced happily.

Angie found that she loved the water. She loved it during the day and she loved it even more so at night. She and Sue's son Derrick would take the night watch, although an adult always remained on call. The stars spread out across the night sky and the only sound was the hull slicing through the water. It was so peaceful that Angie could imagine sometimes that the entire world was at peace again and nothing bad had ever happened.

The morning of the fourth day she watched the sun come up over the water. By now they were well out of sight of the land. She stood on the prow, riding easily to the motion of the boat, one hand clutching the rigging. This was incredible she thought. She hoped K-Mart was having as wonderful a time as she was.

Elsewhere her best friend took a head first dive into the boat's cockpit as her Mother shoved her down. Bullets chewed up the railing where she had just been standing. Everyone hit the deck. K-Mart peeked out with one eye.

"Well this is some fine morning. SHIT!"

(To be continued)

(Note: When I first started this fic I listed Alice and Carlos as the main characters. It's become obvious for quite a while that the story is centered around K-Mart and Angie so I've gone back and changed the general information of the story to reflect this.)


	13. DejaVu All Over Again

Homeward Bound, Chapter 13 by patricia51

(Deja-Vu All Over Again)

"SHIT!" K-Mart repeated as she landed face-first in the boat's cockpit and the hoped for protection of the wooden and fiberglass sides around her.

"Watch your language young lady," her mom's voice warned her from where she covered the teen with her body.

"Mom, now?" the exasperated girl replied as another volley of rifle fire sent splinters flying.

There was no answer as the pair, along with Carlos, hugged the deck while resisting the urge to fire back. After all, they had been warned that this might happen. And it wasn't like they were being shot at by Umbrella or by marauders or even someone like the wiped out pirates. No, they were under fire by the first of the floating refuges that they had managed to reach.

It had taken three days to get this far down the coast. Morganna's investigation into the charts and notes left by the pirates before their end had shown where there were caches of supplies up and down the coastline; including a great deal of fuel for the boat's engine. Relieved of worry about running out of gas by this revelation Robert had pushed the boat continuously. They had a long way to go to reach the aquatic settlement nearest to Los Angeles so they went on day and night.

That was just fine with K-Mart. Not realizing her best friend was doing almost the same she had sat up at night when the boat of necessity had to slow down. It gave her a chance to experience the ocean and, she grinned to herself, to sit up with Robert and Sue's son Ted, himself a teenager.

Half the fun of that was listening to the half-baked excuses her mom and dad kept coming up with that called for them to suddenly appear at all hours of the night. Of course she had aggravated the situation by sitting close to him whenever she thought one of them was sneaking about. Well, maybe that wasn't the only time. Ted was a year younger than her but tall and handsome and best of all a really nice guy.

They both knew there was no future even as a casual boyfriend and girlfriend. She would be going home to Alaska and he would be staying here on the California coast. But they enjoyed spending time together and if they snuggled just a little but while he was showing her the stars at night and teaching her the constellations it was all good. She had even seen her dad wink at her after the first night.

On the afternoon of the third day their first objective had come into sight. K-mart had been impressed. She had had a fuzzy vision of boats or rafts tied together. There were indeed a few of both but they were knitted together by wood and steel carefully and expertly constructed. She could even see the tops of bushes and what looked like to be an actual tree sticking up from the center of the place.

That was all she was able to take in. Just as Robert cut the engine and stood up to wave twinkling yellow lights commenced from the parapet that surrounded most of the structure. It took a second to realize those lights were muzzle flashes and then she was in her present position with the echo of the reports in her ears.

The teen peeked from under her mom's protective body to make sure that her dad and Robert and Ted were also okay. They all seemed to be. The gunfire stopped for a moment, probably because everyone had to reload at one, something her parents had drilled into her you did not do. Robert took the momentary pause in the incoming barrage to stick his head up.

K-Mart expected him to yell something along the lines of "Hey you guys it's ME!" Instead she was treated to the most amazing display of foul language she had ever heard in her life. He went on for several minutes and didn't repeat himself. K-Mart wished she had a picket tape recorder or at least something to take notes with. She probably would never have the opportunity to hear this again. She could see her dad with his mouth was open and he was shaking his head in admiration.

Apparently it worked. The gunfire did not resume. Instead a voice called across the water.

"Robert is that you?"

"Well who the heck do you think it is?"

"What are you doing with a mill?"

"Trying to save your asses. Umbrella is coming."

"Shit," observed the unseen voice.

Alice looked at her daughter. "Just because he does, they do, doesn't make it right for you young lady."

K-Mart took the wise route. "Yes, ma'am."

"Come alongside and tell us what's going on," the voice called again.

The group cautiously stood up, hands empty as Robert restarted the motor he had shut off during the one-sided gunfight. He guided the boat to an opening that lead to a series of internal docks, most of which were occupied by boats. All sailboats K-mart noted. Already a crowd had gathered at the dock; men and women with more children than K-Mart had seen in years with the exception of Alaska and the LA survivors colony.

Hastily Robert introduced K-Mart and her parents. Well, he introduced Carlos and Alice and mentioned their daughter. Then the conversation turned immediately to the oncoming situation.

The leader of the settlement, whose name turned out to be Stanley, explained part of the hostile reception had been because just the evening before lookouts had seen a similar type boat on the horizon. It had not approached but had hovered, circling them and then taken off to the North about dusk.

"Umbrella is scouting you," Robert said. He went on to reveal what had happened to his family and the others who had sailed with them. Murmurs swept through the crowd and a fierce discussion started. Some people wanted to stay and fight any attack by Umbrella.

"After all," the most vocal member of that group argued. "This is our home. We've fought off raiders before. We can fight off these people."

Alice shook her head. "I'm sure you all are very capable but the Arcadia is armed with cannon, missile launchers and VTOL attack aircraft. Do you have anything capable of that kind of firepower?"

Silence fell over the group and several faces turned green.

"But we can't just abandon everything here," the man insisted.

Alice understood the concerns but sharply brought them to reality. "Take what you can with you. Sail West. The ship isn't going to hang around. If you're alive you can rebuild. If you're dead or specimens for the Umbrella experimental labs you can't. It's that simple."

Nods, some reluctant and some quickly agreeing, met her statement. The people scattered to their homes and the main buildings. The younger ones ran with their parents. A few went to the gardens to harvest what could be taken quickly. In an incredibly short time all the inhabitants were back and loading their boats.

As they began to launch several baskets of fresh produce were thrust into the hands of the new arrivals. K-Mart devoured a fresh tomato. Although she tried to never think of her life before the collapse she did smile to herself as she recalled her numerous refusals to eat fresh vegetables and fruit back then and how much she craved them now.

It was while she was enjoying a second firm ripe red orb that she felt something. Something in her head. She stopped eating and concentrated. A frown spread over her face, a frown that her parents picked up on.

"Sweetie we need to be going too," her mom gently jogged her.

For the first time since she had met her new mom to be K-Mart shushed her. "Just a moment mom, I need to concentrate.

"What is it?" Alice asked, not in the least bothered by her daughter hushing her.

"It's Angie." She closed her eyes.

"You can feel her from whatever distance there is between us?" asked her dad.

"Uh-huh," the teen remarked absently. "This far it's just feelings, not words I guess." Her eyes popped open. "She's in trouble!"

Half the California coast away Angie Valentine was indeed in trouble.

"I think I managed to warn K-Mart we're having problems," she yelled to her mom as they trimmed the boat's mainsail to catch as much wind as possible.

"Well we're certainly having those," admitted Jill as she cast a look behind her at the pursuing rubber boats, their bows pointing up from the speed they were moving through the water.

"How much farther to the beach?" yelled Chris from his position at the stern, wishing he had thought to borrow his sister's sniper rifle.

"Not too far. I think we'll make it."

A shout from the helm by Sue made everyone aboard relax just for a moment and almost grin.

"This is twice now and that's getting to be twice too many times!"

As it always seemed to happen in the world Angie lived in now one moment things had been perfectly calm and even beautiful and in another they were fighting for their lives.

They had warned several more drifters as the solitary sailors were called and were plowing back North towards the mansion and the hidden caves under it. The other boats were scattering both to sail towards safety and to check on others whom they were familiar with and warn them. The sun had been warm and the boat heeling to the stiff onshore breeze made everything so alive as they tacked to remain out to sea in the current they had caught.

The whole crew, Angie and her parents and Sue and her son had been enjoying it all. Perhaps too much. For no one saw the shape appear over the horizon and then change its course through the air towards them until they heard the distant but closing roar of its engines.

"What the hell is THAT?" asked Sue, shading her eyes.

"Trouble," answered Jill. "Head for shore!"

Sue immediately swung the tiller and yelled for her son William and Angie to trim the sail before she asked "What's going on?"

"It's an Umbrella VTOL, almost certainly from the Arcadia. I doubt they are going to fly over and wave hello."

The aircraft slowed as it approached and went into a hover. When it had nearly reached the sea a door slid open on its side. First one and then two rubber boats were dropped, followed by a dozen heavily armed Umbrella guards who piled into the boats. Engines were started and without any word they began to pursue the sailboat.

"What do you suppose they want?"

"Anything we happen to have," replied Chris grimly. "It's pretty much a standard Umbrella policy it seems."

Everyone hung on while the boat plunged towards the land. Details became sharper and Sue picked a gently sloping sandy beach to try to beach the craft on. Fortunately, probably because the VTOL had been afraid its rotor wash might capsize the catamaran, the boats had been launched at a bit of a distance, giving the sailboat a chance.

"Well just make it," yelled Chris. "Grab everything you can and run when we land."

There was a jarring shock that would have thrown everyone from their feet if they had not been hanging on. Angie prepared to scamper forward onto the land, where her parents were already setting up to provide covering fire when her mind felt something. Something she had touched before. A grim smile touched her lips as she leaped from the bow onto the sand.

There would be a surprise indeed for their pursuers.

(To be continued)


	14. Aren't Surprises Great?

Homeward Bound, Chapter 14

(Aren't Surprises Great?)

(By the way, the redundant title of the previous chapter came from one of the famous "Yogisms" uttered by the all-time great baseball player and unintentional humorist Yogi Berra. He was a Hall of Fame player and even more famous for his remarks. My personal favorite is that during a game at Yankee Stadium a streaker (a craze for running nude in public places) ran past Yogi who was in the on-deck circle. When asked by reporters if the streaker was a guy or girl he supposedly replied "Couldn't tell. They had a bag over their head." On with the story.)

K-Mart watched as the floating community receded in the distance. Off to her right all that could be seen of the boats carrying the inhabitants out to sea and hopefully safety were the tips of their sails. Shortly even that was gone.

There was a sigh beside her. She looked sideways at the teenaged boy standing there, riding easily to the motion of the boat as it cut through the water.

"What's wrong Ted?"

"Oh nothing. But this place is pretty similar to where we're going next. And that next place is ours. I'm just thinking I hate to see that place empty and abandoned like this one. We all worked so hard to build it as a safe place for us all and now it may all be for nothing."

"Is that home?"

"It has been for the last couple of years. Before then, well, you know."

K-Mart nodded. Like pretty much everyone else in the post-apocalyptic world she didn't spend much time thinking about what had come before. It was all gone never to return so why dwell on it? It was enough to survive today and plan to survive tomorrow.

Things were better for her, for all of them now then they had been. She had come a long way from a solitary, starving and terrified child scavenging in the stockrooms of the ruined store that had given her her new name. Now she had wonderful, protective and extremely capable parents. She had a home to go to now, not just to dream about. Slowly but surely Nature was reclaiming the Earth from the effects that man had unleashed. She had other adults she considered family who looked out for her. She had a best friend her own age.

Speaking of her best friend, K-mart closed her eyes. She had no idea why but it seemed like she could "hear" Angie better when she did that. In fact she had no idea how this telepathic link between her worked or why it seemed she could connect better with Angie than anyone else could, including her mother whose body had also bonded with the T-Virus although in a completely different way. She just accepted that it worked and worked better with her eyes closed.

"Angie?" she thought.

She knew her friend was many miles away. She also knew that she had received only a feeling from the other teen, not words as she had got in the hidden cavern.

"Anything?"

The blonde girl opened her eyes to see that her dad had joined her and Ted.

"Nothing Daddy. I don't know whether we're too far away or what."

"Probably too far away," her dad reassured her.

"But I heard her before. She can't have gone that much farther in such a short space of time."

"The situation may be resolved by now. I bet you only felt her because of the stress of whatever the situation was." Seeing his daughter was still uncertain he hugged her. "Come on. Angie's shown herself to be pretty darn capable, just like you."

"And Aunt Jill and Uncle Chris will be taking care of her. I know." She leaned into her dad's shoulder for a moment. "And before you remind me I have stuff to do here and I'll get on with it."

"That's my girl."

Meanwhile a not-quite-official but pretty-much-accepted-as father was yelling at his daughter.

"Move it baby!"

Angie stumbled across the packed sand as Chris whirled and fired a burst from his M4 carbine, more to keep the pursuers heads down rather than with any hope of hitting either of the rubber boats behind them. Jill was running along side her daughter. Their friends Sue and her son Barney were ahead of them and climbing over the dunes that protected the straggling vegetation growing on the land. The roar of the outboard motors bringing the pursuers closer filled her ears. But she knew something that no one else, especially the Umbrella storm Troopers behind them, knew.

She peeked back over her shoulder as she and her parents reached the dunes. Both boats were coming on fast, their bow wakes foaming at their speed. Most of the weapons that had been firing at them had fallen silent as the men prepared to jump out of the boats once they reached shore. As her feet led her down the back side of the protective sand she turned and gave a silent command with all the force of her mind.

"Now!"

Suddenly the first boat stopped as though it had run into a concrete wall. Men went flying into the water, which was still too deep to stand up in. Black clad men hastily shed their equipment and weapons to lighten themselves enough to swim to shore. It didn't help. From their position of relative safety the party saw a swimming Umbrella trooper suddenly disappear a though he was jerked under water. Then another disappeared and another. Only an occasional fountain of bubbles marked where they went under.

Jill looked at her daughter. "Sweetie did you..." The question was left hanging in the air.

"Yes Mom."

"Good."

Screams came across the water. The other boat was nearly ashore before it was flipped on its side. This close the undead Great White Shark could be clearly seen as it remorselessly dragged down the pursuers one by one. Panicked gunfire from those who had found their footing and not lost their weapons churned the sea but seemed to have no effect.

Still nearly half-dozen troopers made it to land. The party, Chris and Jill especially, noticed one man. He was walking backwards, dragging a comrade who looked to have been stunned. Alone among the survivors he seemed to keep his wits about him. When the shark lunged for him so hard that it was half out of the water he pushed the other Umbrella soldier to one side. Waiting till the last instant he flipped a grenade into the oncoming maw and dove away. The explosion ripped the zombie shark apart and it quietly sank into the water. Calmly the man grasped the collar of the fallen man and pulled him the rest of the way to shore.

Chris and Jill motioned for the others to stay down as they rose from cover. Angie half-obeyed, rising to one knee and bringing her shotgun to her shoulder. Her parents covered the men sprawled on the beach.

"Drop your weapons and raise your hands!" commanded Chris.

There was a momentary hesitation. Fingers tightened imperceptibly on triggers. Then the man who had kissed the shark and rescued his comrade pulled his helmet off. Dropping it to the sand in a gesture of surrender he spoke.

"Do what he says. I've already lost enough men."

In response the three men who had reached land first started to lay their weapons down. Then one man, his visor raised, saw Angie. The teen girl recoiled from the look of fanaticism and fear on his face.

"It s her! That's the little witch we were told about! KILL Her!"

This time there was no hesitation. As the wild-eyed man in the middle snatched up his submachine gun the Umbrella troopers flanking him hit the sand and grabbed for their own weapons. Gunfire filled the air, bullets ripping into the sand and forcing Jill to dive for cover. Chris was able to stand his ground and fired; dropping the man shooting at his fianc e. Jill popped back up and nailed the other flanking guard.

Angie knew she would have to deal with the crazed one in the middle. She centered her shotgun's barrel on his chest and fired; pumped the action and fired again. She realized the range was too great. The buckshot from her cut down twenty gauge was spreading too far. One pellet drew a bloody line across his cheek and two more were stopped by his protective vest. With the clarity of vision that sometimes comes in situations like that she saw his finger whiten on the trigger and tried to throw herself flat, knowing already there wasn't time. Bullets walked across the sand as her parents frantically tried to zero their fire in but they weren't going to be in time either.

The man's face twisted into a parody of a smile. Then the muzzle of his weapon pointed skyward as it fired and his evil grin turned into a look of shock and puzzlement. His weapon dropped to the sand, followed by his knees. A spreading red stain seeped through the armor vest protecting his chest.

Behind him the Umbrella officer lowered his smoking pistol. Planting a foot in the already dead man's back he pushed, sending the body toppling on its face.

"When I tell you to do something," he informed the corpse, "it's not a suggestion. It's an order." He looked up at Angie and his determined faces softened. And I do NOT allow the shooting of children. In fact I don't allow any attack or abuse on them period." He looked back down. "But I guess you know that now."

Angie rose unsteadily to her feet. In fact she wavered, which brought both Jill and Chris to her side as fast as possible while still keeping an eye on the last Umbrella soldier. Even so it was Angie who spotted the danger.

"Behind you!" she shouted.

The black clad man spun quickly. The man he had dragged to shore had risen, revealing an ugly wound on his leg that had obviously been caused by the undead shark. The bitten man's eyes were unfocused and he staggered as he walked. With a heartfelt "DAMN" the Umbrella soldier raised his pistol and aimed carefully. He fired twice and his infected subordinate fell, now dead for good. Turning back to the approaching trio he surveyed the bodies and shrugged.

"Now then, I think we were right here before things got out of hand," he said dryly, carefully setting his pistol down on the sand.

The group stood in silence as Angie and then Sue and her son joined them.

"I'm sorry about your friend," said Angie, not quite sure of exactly what to say.

The man shrugged. "I didn't really like him anyway. He was a typical Umbrella bully boy. All muscles, few brains and no conscience."

"But you risked your life for him," Jill pointed out.

"No choice. He was under my command and therefore my responsibility. Doesn't mean I'm not really relieved to be shed of him. Them."

"Wait a minute," Sue said looking carefully at him. "What's your name?"

"Corporal Dwayne Hicks."

"Well, I'm not surprised." Sue nodded with satisfaction. "Morganna mentioned you to me."

"Morganna?" There was surprise in the non-com's voice as well as more than a hint of longing. "Morganna Combs? You know her? Is she alright?"

"She mentioned you a time or two," Sue replied. The others were surprised to see an actual twinkle in the woman's eyes, the first they had seen. "In fact I recall getting a bit bored at the list of your virtues. Anyway, yes, she's out of harm's way and out from under Umbrella's control. What do you think about that?"

"I don't know how that could have happened, but if it did and you know it and her, than you probably also know why Umbrella separated us."

"Too humanizing an influence on each other was the charge as I recall. NOT something Umbrella wants in its corporate drones." The seafarer looked at Chris and Jill. "Morganna spoke of this guy often. He's one of the reasons her loyalty to Umbrella was worn thin."

Chris and Jill exchanged looks. Jill shrugged. Chris pointed at Hick's discarded sidearm.

"I think you better pick that up. It's a long way till we reach safety and you might need it before then."

The man picked up his weapon and dusted the sand from it. He dropped the magazine into his hand and reloaded before holstering the pistol.

"And now?" he asked.

"We get this boat back in the water and head back to our starting point. And Morganna by the way."

(To be continued) 


	15. Resolutions

Homeward Bound, Chapter 15 by patricia51

(Resolutions)

"Anything interesting?"

Morganna spun around in her chair, turning her back to the bank of monitors that covered the desk top and several tables. She smiled as she took in the foursome in front of her.

Claire, who had just asked her the question, was holding the hand of the older of the two orphaned drifter children, eight year old Marian. Sam was holding Sally the approximately six year old younger girl. Her head was pillowed on his shoulder and she was sound asleep.

Sam realized what a picture they made and smiled back. The smile broadened. Every few moments the former Umbrella spy glanced over at the teenaged boy sitting next to her as though to confirm Don was still thee and still safe. It looked all around as though the future of the three children had been decided. None of the trio was going to be alone any longer.

"In fact, yes," Morganna returned her attention to Claire's question. She turned back around and pointed at the monitors, several of which were displaying real-time views downloaded from one of the satellites to which she was confident Umbrella had no access. She pointed at the one in the middle with one hand while the other used the mouse.

"Here," and the view on the scene zoomed in, "is Robert's boat. The resolution isn't enough to absolutely distinguish individual features but the count is right, as is the size. Three adults and two teens." She pulled back. "Here's their location. They've just left the third and last of the floating communities that are in the path of the Arcadia. And that community is evacuating as we speak."

She manipulated the controls and drew their attention to another screen. "Here's Sue's boat, headed back this way. The drifters have scattered to the West and I don't find any at all in Umbrella's greedy sticky-fingered way."

Claire nodded, hiding a grin at the way Morganna was referring to her former corporate employer in the third person. Obviously her loyalties had firmed and those weren't on Umbrella's side. She shared a quick look with Sam, who of course was also ex-Umbrella as were Alice and Carlos.

"Perhaps this is the most important piece of information." Morganna directed everyone's attention to the far left monitor. "I've been keeping track of the Arcadia. She hasn't changed course but she has slowed down. Slowed down a lot. I'm reluctant to try too obvious eaves-dropping on their communications but Mikey can in safety and he's been updating me."

"Apparently there have been some confused reports from the ship. One scouting boat simply disappeared after circling the first atoll, which incidentally the Arcadia had orders to stop at, board, loot and carry off anyone the security teams didn't kill to provide the Umbrella main labs with experimental subjects. The boat reported no trouble. It simply stopped communicating and I've had no luck finding it."

Morganna smiled grimly. "As for the fate of another scouting mission it seems one of the VTOL craft the Arcadia carries spotted a catamaran under sail and dropped two rubber boats with its full reinforced squad of troopers to take it. The sailboat not only managed to get ashore but somehow the occupants, who were heavily armed, wiped out the troopers. When the VTOL buzzed the fight, which took place on the beach, accurate small arms fire severely damaged it. The final message from the aircraft was that it was losing power as it attempted to return to the Arcadia. I tracked the probable course that Mikey furnished and found bits and pieces of the aircraft floating in the ocean."

"These events, along with the silence from Major Halstead has led the Arcadia to request instructions from Chairman Wesker and to slow down while waiting for them. I don't know if this means the threat is over for now or not but it's definitely promising."

"Good, I'm ready to get out and get started towards home again," Claire pretended to grumble. "If someone hadn't lost our helicopter than we'd already be there," she added with a sideways glance at Sam, a smile tugging at her lips.

In answer Sam stroked Sally's hair. "Can you say the trip hasn't been worth it?"

Claire shook her head and squeezed Marian's hand. "I'm mighty glad we've taken it."

Two days latter Sue's boat reached the hidden caves. The highpoint of the occasion was the reunion of Morganna and Dwayne. Explanations were made, all of which had to be repeated two days after that when Robert's boat docked. It was the very next day that Morganna called the group, seafarers and land dwellers alike, together.

"More interesting news," she said when they had all assembled at the room which K-mart and Angie had taken to calling "The Studio" because of all the monitors. "It seems that dear Chairman Wesker was not very happy with the Captain and crew of the Arcadia." She sighed. "In true Umbrella fashion, which half of us have experienced, the blame for the failure of the operation to capture you Alice and Angie too and carry you off to Japan is being laid squarely on the Arcadia."

"Well what happened after that shouldn't surprise anyone except for the likes of the Umbrella board members. Part of the crew abandoned ship in the lifeboats. The pilot of the second VTOL took off. More about that later. And the ship passed out of range of the satellite Mikey and I have been using a few hours ago, heading south and West, probably towards Australia."

She shuffled through some papers on the computer desk. "Mikey has been sending me copies of Umbrella communications that he has been picking up. I've matched them with others that we have intercepted here. Put together it shows that Umbrella is really losing control. And at the head of that loss is Chairman Wesker. He's practically foaming at the mouth."

Morganna looked at Alice and the others. "Your status has been upgraded. He's gone from considering you 'an inconvenience' to 'Umbrella's most wanted fugitives'. There's quite a reward for you all."

Alice looked at her friends and family. "The day is coming when we are going to have to settle accounts once and for all with Umbrella and Chairman Wesker. But for right now I think the best thing is for us to lay low, keep out of sight and plan how we are going to do just that."

"So we head home to Alaska," her husband stated rather than asked.

"Uh-huh. We still have a drive to go but the sooner we get started the sooner we'll get there."

Morganna cleared her throat. "I mentioned earlier that I would get back to the subject of the second Umbrella VTOL. The pilot flew it off the ship and landed about a hundred miles from here down the coast. Since then the aircraft hasn't moved. I don't know why but it's almost straight down the coastal highway, a couple of hours from here. You might want to investigate. Assuming of course," a twinkle entered her eyes, "that someone among you might know how to fly that aircraft it might get you home sooner than driving."

"I don't know," Claire pretended to ponder the idea. "There IS a broken down chopper jock here but maybe Alice could fly it."

Within a couple of hours the still hidden vehicles had been retrieved from the hiding spot near the mansion where they had remained since the first time the convoy members had entered the place. Quick but thorough maintenance had been performed and the group had roared away. That evening there was a thunderous roar that could be heard all the way in the caverns as the Umbrella VTOL landed, followed shortly by the return of the vehicles.

"That," Sam proclaimed as the group met again in the computer room, "was as strange as anything I've seen since the collapse. The aircraft was sitting where it had landed. The pilot's helmet was neatly place right on the seat. All the controls were centered and the master switch was turned off. The exterior door was latched in place. And there was no sign at all of the pilot. It was as if he had simply walked away."

"Maybe zombies got him?" asked Dwayne in curiosity.

"No sign of them. In fact we only saw a handful of them the entire trip there and back," answered Claire.

"And we looked," added Chris. "We circled the area where we found the aircraft and then the territory around this house as well for good measure. Not more than ten undead found the entire time. After all, we want you to be able to go all the way upstairs when you want to do that."

Sue and Robert and their family had been joined by several other boats, including ones from both the floating communities and the drifters. A plan had been hammered out. Hannah, accompanied by Dwayne and Don, who had speedily formed another of the ad-hoc families that seemed to be springing up wherever the survivors went anymore, would stay on in the mansion. They would be joined by several of the families from the aqua groups who had expressed a desire to return to the dry land. The mansion would serve as a port of refuge as well as a source of news from the world beyond the seacoast and the residents there would keep in contact with Alaska.

"Speaking of Alaska," remarked Sam, "before we take off we need to make sure we don't get shot down when we get near home."

Heads nodded in agreement. The surviving Alaskan National Guard units that defended the state included some US Air Force survivors, including those who still manned a couple of the massive radar stations that had once watched for an attack coming over the Arctic from the then Soviet Union. Those stations now watched all around the Last Frontier State now and Guard Command would not hesitate to send a couple of the surviving F-16's to blow an Umbrella intruder out of the sky.

Permission was finally arranged, although the aircraft would be escorted and required to land at an Air National Guard base. Hugs were exchanged with their new friends and the survivors climbed on board the aircraft and strapped in.

K-Mart smiled; a smile she exchanged with Angie. Normally when Sam flew Claire would ride in the co-pilot's seat. Today however K-Mart's mom was riding in the other seat. Claire was back in the passenger compartment where she could keep an arm around Sally and Marian.

For once a trip was uneventful and after briefing the Governor and his staff as well as the senior Guard commanders on what was taking place to the South the last lap home was accomplished in no time.

Angie admitted it. She had a fear of dogs. She had acquired that during the original Raccoon City outbreak when the Police Department's K-9's had become infected. They had nearly got her and Jill. But when K-Mart's furry dog Sparkles bolted out of the house to leap joyfully into her best friend's waiting arms she knew she would have to have one herself.

The knowledge that the showdown with Wesker and umbrella was merely postponed did nothing to cast a pall over the festivities. Jill married Chris with Angie as the Maid of Honor, a position K-Mart occupied shortly after when her dear friend and former convoy leader Claire married Sam. Angie was now Angela Redfield and Sally and Marian were formally adopted to become the Treadwell children.

Angie and K-Mart came home from school a few months later, along with their "cousins". Of course as Angie pointed out Claire really was her Aunt now since Chris was her dad so Sally and Marian were her official cousins. K-Mart agreed but still claimed Claire, Sam, Chris and Jill as aunts and uncles anyway.

There was a note on K-Mart's door telling her that her parents were at the doctor's and for her to stay with Claire and Sam until they got home.

"I wonder what that's all about. Mom is never sick," K-Mart wondered aloud. Angie shrugged.

When K-Mart's parents arrived they were accompanied by Sam, Claire and their girls. The whole group sat expectantly on Jill and Chris' front porch for the news.

"Mom, is something wrong?" asked K-Mart a little fearfully.

"Quite the opposite sweetie. You know you ve mentioned how great it would be to have a little brother or sister?"

The blonde teen's heart beat faster and she nodded to the accompaniment of applause and words of congratulations from the others.

"Well, it looks like you're going to have both. I'm pregnant and tests show it's fraternal twins."

(The End)

(This looks like a good place to stop. I have to confess it, I'm pooped. A chapter every week for 15 weeks has worn me out. Time to take a break. I may go on to other couples and stories and I may take a little hiatus from writing period. But Alice, Carlos, K-mart and the others will be back some day. Promise.)


End file.
